Introduction
American poet Emily Dickinson was renowned for her original and avant-garde writing style. Dickinson’s poetry is praised for its unique form, capitalization, and punctuation. She descended into profound intellectual and emotional depths using succinct, evocative words. Emily Dickinson’s poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “The Sky is Low…” address themes of time, nature, and mortality. However, although they include some similar subjects, their points of emphasis are different.
Comparison of Emily Dickinson’s Poems
Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Firstly, it is necessary to analyze “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”. Death is portrayed as a kind and understanding carriage driver: “We slowly drove – He knew no haste” (“Because I could”). The poem explores the peaceful acceptance of death as a typical part of life’s journey, and the carriage ride symbolizes the passage from life (Sheki 6). This is exemplified in the poem’s first passage: “Because I could not stop for Death / He kindly stopped for me” (“Because I could”). Dickinson presents death as something natural that shouldn’t be feared by utilizing calm and peaceful imagery.
The Sky Is Low—The Clouds Are Mean
Secondly, it is important to review “The Sky is Low…” for its main themes. This poem, in contrast to the preceding one, is more concerned with employing nature symbolism: “The sky is low, the clouds are mean / A travelling flake of snow” (“The Sky is low”). Moreover, it focuses more on the emotions of the narrator and their immediate surroundings. Hence, this poem focuses more on the feelings that are evoked by the immediate, observable world.
Comparison
Based on the abovementioned observations, it is possible to make a comparison of the two poems. The themes of mortality and nature are present in both poems. But whereas the second examines the psychological and emotional facets of the human experience via the lens of natural elements, the first examines the process of accepting death as an essential part of existence. Thus, while similar in tone, the two poems focus on different aspects of life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Emily Dickinson’s revolutionary approach and deep thematic investigation are evident in her poems. Despite discussing nature and mortality, they do it in distinct ways that highlight different points. “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” accepts death’s inevitability and presents it as something normal. “The Sky is Low…”, however, uses nature elements to emphasize emotional resonance and explore the human experience. Therefore, these poems highlight various aspects of life while having similar subjects.
Works Cited
Dickinson, Emily. “The Sky is low—the Clouds are mean.” National Poetry Library. Web.
Dickinson, Emily. ” Because I could not stop for Death – (479).” Poetry Foundation. Web.
Sheki, Fatima. “Analyzing Poetic Devices and Symbolism in Emily Dickinson’s ‘Because I Could Not Stop for Death’.” Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fundamentals, vol. 3, no. 7, 2023. Web.