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Emily Dickinson's Because I Could Not Stop for Death Analysis

General Education

Emily Dickinson is one of the most important American poets of the nineteenth century. Dickinson takes a unique and artistic approach to her poetry, which can sometimes make its meaning and themes difficult to pin down.

In this article, we’re going to give you a crash course in the poetry of Emily Dickinson by focusing on one of her most famous poems, “Because I could not stop for Death.” We’ll give you:

• An overview of the life and career of Emily Dickinson
• A thorough “Because I could not stop for Death” summary
• A discussion of the “Because I could not stop for Death” meaning
• An explanation of the top three themes and top two poetic devices in the poem

Let’s begin!

Because Dickinson was so reclusive, there aren't many pictures available of her. This is one of the only authenticated images of Emily Dickinson in existence!

Meet the Author: Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts. Dickinson grew up in an educated family. Her father, Edward Dickinson, was involved in state and local politics. He even served in Congress for one term. Dickinson herself was an excellent student. She began writing poetry as a teenager and corresponding with other writers to exchange written drafts and ideas.

After completing seven years at Amherst Academy, she attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary for a year for religious education. It isn’t known why she left the school, but some scholars believe that mental illness may have led to her departure. (They also think Dickinson’s emotional struggles may have led to her reclusiveness, too.) 

After leaving seminary, Dickinson never joined a particular church or denomination . This was a serious rejection of the cultural and religious tradition in her small, Puritan hometown. Dickinson’s complicated relationship with religion, God, and Puritan values pops up in her poetry, too. 

Dickinson was a big fan of the metaphysical poets of seventeenth century England —such as John Donne and George Herbert—and their works influence Dickinson’s poems. Metaphysical poetry is characterized by philosophical exploration and themes such as love, religion, and morality. The metaphysical poets often considered these themes through the lens of social and cultural events of their time, such as scientific advancements and contemporary issues. Like these older poets, Dickinson’s work focuses on nature, mortality, and morbidity.

Like so many poets, Emily Dickinson was not famous during her lifetime. After her death, her friends discovered her collection of poems, which she had meticulously organized and assembled in individual pamphlets. The first volume of her poetry was published in 1890, four years after her death. 

Though Dickinson’s influence was not celebrated while she was alive, she’s now considered one of the defining poets of her time period. Additionally , “Because I could not stop for Death” is recognized as one of Dickinson’s most widely read poems.  

Emily Dickinson, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” (1890)

“Because I could not stop for Death” is a lyrical poem by Emily Dickinson. It was first published posthumously in the 1890 collection, Poems: Series One . This collection was assembled and edited for publication by Dickinson's friends, Mabel Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and it was originally published under the title "The Chariot.”

Because Dickinson herself never authorized the publication of her poetry, it’s not known whether “Because I could not stop for Death” was a completed or unfinished work. But that hasn’t stopped it from being widely read and studied. 

Find the full text of the poem below:

“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson

Before we get into the analysis, it's worth reading the full text of the poem again. Here it is: 

Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality.

We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility –

We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun –

Or rather – He passed Us – The Dews drew quivering and Chill – For only Gossamer, my Gown – My Tippet – only Tulle –

We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – in the Ground –

Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity –

Emily Dickinson spent most of her life in Amherst, Massachusetts. The house where she was born is now home to the Emily Dickinson Museum. 

The Background Behind the Poem

Because Dickinson’s poems were not published until after she passed away, it’s not totally clear what motivated her to write “Because I could not stop for Death.” However, scholars have divided Dickinson’s extensive writings up into three periods: before 1861, 1861-1865, and after 1865. “Because I could not stop for Death” was written during the period from 1861-1865, Dickinson’s most creative period. 

This period is thought to be the time when Dickinson focused on two of her poetry’s dominant themes: life and mortality. As you’ll see when we dig into the meaning of this poem, “Because I could not stop for Death” definitely explores both. 

There were also things going on in Dickinson’s personal life that can help us understand what may have motivated her to write this poem. In the 1850s, Dickinson visited Philadelphia and fell in love with a married minister. Unsurprisingly, the relationship didn’t work out, resulting in a disappointment in romantic relationships that would define the rest of Dickinson’s life. She would later experience an emotional crisis (the details of which are unknown) and become a recluse. 

“Because I could not stop for Death” portrays the personification of Death, who visits the poem’s speaker and takes her on a carriage ride to the afterlife. Over the course of the poem, the speaker contemplates scenes of natural cycles of life and death that she observes during the carriage ride with Death. Some may read the poem as a reaction to the disappointments and solitude that Dickinson experienced during her life. Others view it as portraying her reconciliation with Christian faith. Regardless, knowing more about Dickinson, her life, and the circumstances that may have informed this poem can help us analyze her work more accurately. 

Now let's take a closer look at "Because I could not stop for Death" and analyze the poem! 

“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” Analysis, Meaning, and Themes

To help you understand the significance of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, we’ll break down the overarching meaning through a “Because I could not stop for Death” analysis next. 

But before we do, go back and reread the poem. Once you have that done, come back here...and we can get started! 

“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” Meaning

At its core, this is a poem about death. (Surprise!) 

At the beginning of the poem, Death comes to fetch the speaker for a carriage ride. The rest of the poem shows the speaker coming to terms with the transition from life into death. 

In fact, the journey into death is what Dickinson really grapples with throughout the poem. Once Death picks the speaker up for their carriage ride, they travel along a country path that allows the speaker to observe children at play and the beauties of nature. Death takes a leisurely pace and treats the speaker kindly along the way. 

These depictions of the speaker’s journey to death reveal what death means to the speaker of the poem . The speaker seems to be saying that the hardest part about death isn’t always the act of dying itself. In fact, they say that they “could not stop for Death,” possibly because they were too busy living! 

However, this poem takes a closer look at the process of coming to terms with death...and how death is unavoidable. This is a struggle that any reader can relate to, since death is something we will all have to confront someday. 

By the final stanza of the poem, the speaker has achieved something that we all might hope for as well: they are at peace with her life coming to an end. They see a new home rising up from the earth, with its “Roof” in the ground. In other words, Death has taken the speaker to their grave. But the speaker doesn’t view their grave negatively. It’s not a scary place! Instead, it’s the location where the speaker comes face-to-face with Eternity. 

Understanding the overarching message of “Because I could not stop for Death” can help us pick out more specific themes that help us understand the poem better. Next, we’ll dig into three important themes from this poem: the inevitability of death, the connection of life with death, and the uncertainty of the afterlife. 

Theme 1: The Inevitability of Death

We already know that the process of dying is central to “Because I could not stop for Death.” Even more specific than that, though, is the idea that death is inevitable. 

We can see that the speaker is facing the inevitability of death from the very first stanza. The speaker saying that they “could not stop for Death” shows they had not necessarily planned to die--but Death came for them anyway.   

If we look at the meaning of “stopped” in the poem, we can get a better idea of how the speaker was feeling about the inevitability of Death’s approach. “Stopped” seems to mean “picked up” or “collected” in the context of the poem—at least when referring to Death stopping for the speaker. In other words, “stopped” doesn’t mean that Death halted its pursuit of the speaker to search for another mortal. It actually means that Death is making a stop to pick her up, similar to a taxi or bus. 

But “stopped” is also used in the first line of the poem when the speaker says that she “could not stop for Death.” So what’s up with that? T he use of “stop” in the first line could imply that the speaker was too busy living their life to acknowledge Death’s approach. Instead of the speaker traveling to meet Death, Death came for them...regardless of the speaker’s original plans. 

The first line could also be interpreted another way. Perhaps the speaker could not stop for Death because she was too afraid. (In that way, this could be read a lot like Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night. ” In this reading, the speaker “could not stop” because they were nervous about what accepting Death would be like. 

Regardless of how you interpret the speaker’s position--whether they were too busy or too scared to stop--the speaker definitely can’t avoid their trip with Death . When Death stops for them, they have to go with Death. 

While perhaps too apprehensive or preoccupied to stop for Death at first, once she settles into the carriage ride, t he speaker is put at ease by Death’s civility and the leisurely pace he takes on the journey. The path the speaker travels isn’t frantic--there’s no rush! This gives the speaker the time to reflect on all the beautiful things of life and consider what’s to come at the end of the journey. 

In fact, Dickinson’s speaker paints Death in a favorable light here. Death isn’t the terrifying grim reaper who shows up with a sickle and whisks you away to the afterlife. Nor is the trip with Death like a Final Destination movie where everything is scary. In fact, Death is described as “civil,” or courteous, in line eight. The journey that the speaker takes to “Eternity” (mentioned in the last line of the poem) is calm, quiet, and pensive. 

Death isn’t cheery in this poem--but it’s also not a terrifying, horrible process. In this case, Death gives the speaker a chance to reflect on life from beginning (symbolized by the playing children) all the way to the end (symbolized by the setting sun). 

Theme 2: The Connection of Life and Death

The second theme that we’ll cover here is the beauty of life . From beginning to end, “Because I could not stop for Death” portrays how the process of dying is actually characterized by the vibrancy and fullness of life. 

Like we talked about earlier, this poem is all about the journey with Death as a person transitions from life to Eternity. But the carriage ride isn’t what you might expect! It’s not full of sadness, darkness, and...well, dead people. 

Instead, the speaker sees a series of vignettes: of children playing, fields of growing grain, and the setting sun. Each of these images represents a phase of life . The children represent the joy and fun of childhood, the grain represents our growth and productiveness as adults, and the setting sun represents the final years of life.

As the speaker dies, they are able to revisit these peaceful and joyful moments again. In that way, dying is as much about experiencing life one final time as it is about making it to your final rest. 

Theme 3: The Uncertainty of the Afterlife

The final theme that’s prominent in “Because I could not stop for Death” is the uncertainty of the afterlife. The speaker seems to imply that, just as much as we can’t control when Death stops for us, we can’t control what happens (or doesn’t happen) in the afterlife. 

This theme pops up pretty explicitly when the speaker mentions Immortality in line four . At the end of the poem’s first stanza, the speaker states that Immortality (also personified !) came along for the carriage ride. Presumably, Death picked Immortality up along the way to the speaker’s house. 

So what are Death and Immortality doing riding in the same carriage? Well, the poem doesn’t actually make that totally clear. But we can make some inferences based on the remainder of the poem!

After the first stanza, the speaker doesn’t mention Immortality explicitly again. This might mean that, like us, the speaker is unsure about what Immortality is going to do at the end of the carriage ride, which ends at the speaker’s grave. Will Immortality leave the speaker to rest peacefully in Death? Or will Immortality take over the journey when Death’s responsibilities end? 

The truth is, we just don’t know—and it seems that the speaker doesn’t either. That’s reinforced by the end of the poem, where the speaker reflects on guessing that Death’s carriage horses heads were pointed toward “Eternity.” Readers never get an image or explanation of what Eternity’s like. The afterlife remains a mystery to the reader...just as it was for the speaker while they were on their journey. 

This uncertainty can be frustrating for readers, but it’s actually kind of the point! It’s as if the speaker views the possibility of immortality as something we can build into our process of coming to terms with the inevitability of death. While Death is inevitable, the speaker is saying that Immortality, or the afterlife, is unknowable. 

Immortality seems to be an idea that we can choose to take along with us on the carriage ride with Death. What Immortality will do when we reach our destination isn’t something we can know for sure when we’re alive—but Dickinson is leaving the possibility of Immortality through the afterlife totally open. 

This is sometimes read as evidence of Dickinson’s reinvigorated Christian faith...or as a throwback to her conservative Calvinist upbringing. But, those factors aside, I mmortality is presented as a potential companion to the speaker—a belief or presence that can give comfort and peace as she faces the inevitability of Death.

Poetic devices are tools you can use to analyze a poem. Let's check out two that will help you unlock this poem's meaning.

The Top 2 Poetic Devices in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”

Analyzing poetic devices can help us better understand the meaning and themes of a work of poetry. Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death” relies on several poetic devices, but the most important are personification and a volta . 

Personification

Personification is a poetic device that assigns human characteristics to something nonhuman or abstract. For instance, naming your favorite plant--and talking to it like it can listen!--is an example of personification in action!

In “Because I could not stop for Death,” Dickinson uses personification to lend human qualities to Death and Immortality. Death and Immortality are concepts, not people...but in her poem, Dickinson makes them act like people by having them drive and/or ride in a carriage. 

Through the personification of Death and Immortality, Dickinson presents these very familiar ideas in a way that is likely totally unfamiliar to her readers. When Death and Immortality come to mind, we probably don’t jump to images of a kind carriage driver and a quiet, stately passenger. By giving Death and Immortality human qualities , Dickinson helps the readers connect with these complex ideas and makes them more approachable. 

Personification also helps readers ask important questions about the poem . Why is Death driving a carriage and picking the speaker up? Why is Immortality along for the ride? And, most of all, how can we think about Death and Immortality in a whole new way by perceiving them similarly to human beings? While we might not have exact answers to these questions--just like the speaker doesn’t know what to expect from Eternity!--they allow us to critically think about existential concepts in a more concrete way. 

Here’s one example of what we mean. We already talked about how Dickinson is trying to portray Death as more than something to fear. She’s suggesting that Death is a journey that we all must take, and one that can give us the chance to reflect on our lives and find peace in the inevitability of Death. When Death is personified, we can see qualities in Death that may change how we think and feel about it. 

And that’s really what personification is all about: creating powerful stories that make big ideas easier to understand . By the end of the poem, just like the speaker, we see Death in a whole new way. 

A volta , or a turn, is often used by poets to create a significant shift in the tone and theme of a poem. Put another way: a volta can sometimes turn a poem on its head and take it in a different or new direction. 

Dickinson uses a volta in “Because I could not stop for Death” to shift the personification of Death from pleasant to more ambiguous. 

Before the volta, Death is portrayed as a civil and courteous gentleman. You can see this in the first two stanzas, or sections, of the poem. After the volta, which occurs in line thirteen of the poem, Death takes on a more mysterious quality.  

Instead of the happy children and fields of grain, the landscape changes after the volta. The dews quiver and chill, which sets a more ominous and melancholy tone. Then Death takes the speaker to her destination: a house “that seemed / A swelling of the ground.” While this is certainly a metaphorical description of a grave, it’s also something more: it’s honing in on the unknown. The speaker knows that they’ve been taken to their resting place, but it’s at least partially hidden. They can’t see what’s next for them, which turns the poem’s tone from a thoughtful reflectiveness to something more mysterious and enigmatic. This ties into one of the poem’s major themes: the uncertainty of the afterlife. 

So, now that we’ve talked about what the volta in this poem does...how can you tell when the volta is happening? In “Because I could not stop for Death,” you can find the volta by paying attention to the language Dickinson uses. Line thirteen begins, “Or rather--He passed us.” Those words--”or rather”--signify that the speaker’s thoughts and feelings are changing course, or making a turn toward a new idea. 

Another way to identify a volta is through changes to the structure of the poem. If you read “Because I could not stop for Death” out loud, you might notice that it has a lyrical quality. It’s rhythmic, almost like a song. This is because it follows a strict syllabic structure. At the volta, the pattern of syllables in each stanza changes from 8-6-8-6 to 6-8-8-6. 

This might seem like a small change, but you can feel a change in the lyrical quality of the poem when the syllabic pattern changes. It’s like when the beat changes in a song: the song just feels different! In the poem, the change in syllabic pattern helps propel the change in the portrayal of Death forward. And in this case, the volta helps us understand the speaker’s journey through death to the afterlife in a more nuanced way. 

What's Next?

The key to analyzing poetry is making sure you have the right tools at your disposal. That’s where our list of poetic devices comes in handy! These will help you understand the techniques poets use in their works...and ultimately help you grasp poems’ meanings and themes.

If you’re still a little confused about how to analyze a poem, don’t worry. We have other expert poetry analyses on our blog! W hy not start with this one on Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night”? 

Knowing how to analyze poetry is a key skill you need to master before you take the AP Literature exam. You can learn tons more about what to expect from the AP Lit test here.

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Because I could not stop for Death — Summary & Analysis by Emily Dickinson

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"Because I could not stop for death" is one of Emily Dickinson's most celebrated poems and was composed around 1863. In the poem, a female speaker tells the story of how she was visited by "Death," personified as a "kindly" gentleman, and taken for a ride in his carriage. This ride appears to take the speaker past symbols of the different stages of life, before coming to a halt at what is most likely her own grave. The poem can be read both as the anticipation of a heavenly Christian afterlife and as something altogether more bleak and down-to-earth. Much of its power comes from its refusal to offer easy answers to life's greatest mystery: what happens when people die.

• Read the full text of “Because I could not stop for Death —”

The Full Text of “Because I could not stop for Death —”

1 Because I could not stop for Death –

2 He kindly stopped for me –

3 The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

4 And Immortality.

5 We slowly drove – He knew no haste

6 And I had put away

7 My labor and my leisure too,

8 For His Civility –

9 We passed the School, where Children strove

10 At Recess – in the Ring –

11 We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –

12 We passed the Setting Sun –

13 Or rather – He passed Us –

14 The Dews drew quivering and Chill –

15 For only Gossamer, my Gown –

16 My Tippet – only Tulle –

17 We paused before a House that seemed

18 A Swelling of the Ground –

19 The Roof was scarcely visible –

20 The Cornice – in the Ground –

21 Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet

22 Feels shorter than the Day

23 I first surmised the Horses' Heads

24 Were toward Eternity –

“Because I could not stop for Death —” Summary

“because i could not stop for death —” themes.

Death, Immortality, and Eternity

• See where this theme is active in the poem.

The Cyclical Nature of Life and Death

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “because i could not stop for death —”.

Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality.

We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility –

We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun –

Lines 13-16

Or rather – He passed Us – The Dews drew quivering and Chill – For only Gossamer, my Gown – My Tippet – only Tulle –

Lines 17-20

We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – in the Ground –

Lines 21-24

Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity –

“Because I could not stop for Death —” Symbols

The Carriage

• See where this symbol appears in the poem.

The Children

“Because I could not stop for Death —” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Alliteration.

• See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

Personification

“because i could not stop for death —” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Because I could not stop for Death —”

Rhyme scheme, “because i could not stop for death —” speaker, “because i could not stop for death —” setting, literary and historical context of “because i could not stop for death —”, more “because i could not stop for death —” resources, external resources.

On Playing Emily — A clip in which actor Cynthia Nixon discusses playing Emily Dickinson on screen in "A Quiet Passion." 

A Reading of the Poem — A reading on Youtube by Tom O'Bedlam. 

Dickinson's Meter — A valuable discussion of Emily Dickinson's use of meter. 

The Dickinson Museum — The Emily Dickinson Museum, situated in the poet's old house, has lots of resources for students. 

In Our Time Podcast — Experts talk about Emily Dickinson's life and work on the BBC's In Our Time podcast/radio show. 

LitCharts on Other Poems by Emily Dickinson

A Bird, came down the Walk

After great pain, a formal feeling comes –

A Light exists in Spring

A Murmur in the Trees—to note—

A narrow Fellow in the Grass

An awful Tempest mashed the air—

As imperceptibly as grief

A still—Volcano—Life—

Before I got my eye put out

Fame is a fickle food

Hope is the thing with feathers

I cannot live with You –

I cautious, scanned my little life

I could bring You Jewels—had I a mind to—

I did not reach Thee

I died for Beauty—but was scarce

I dreaded that first Robin, so

I dwell in Possibility –

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

If I can stop one heart from breaking

I had been hungry, all the Years

I have a Bird in spring

I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -

I like a look of Agony

I like to see it lap the Miles

I measure every Grief I meet

I’m Nobody! Who are you?

I started Early — Took my Dog —

I taste a liquor never brewed

It was not Death, for I stood up

I—Years—had been—from Home—

Like Rain it sounded till it curved

Much Madness is divinest Sense -

My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun

Nature is what we see

One need not be a Chamber — to be Haunted

Publication — is the Auction

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers

Success is counted sweetest

Tell all the truth but tell it slant —

The Brain—is wider than the Sky—

The Bustle in a House

The Mushroom is the Elf of Plants

There came a Wind like a Bugle

There is no Frigate like a Book

There's a certain Slant of light

There's been a Death, in the Opposite House

The saddest noise, the sweetest noise

The Sky is low — the Clouds are mean

The Soul has bandaged moments

The Soul selects her own Society

The Wind – tapped like a tired Man –

They shut me up in Prose –

This is my letter to the world

This World is not Conclusion

'Twas the old—road—through pain—

We grow accustomed to the Dark

What mystery pervades a well!

Whose cheek is this?

Wild nights - Wild nights!

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Because I could not stop for Death

By Emily Dickinson

‘Because I could not stop for death,’ Dickinson’s best-known poem, is a depiction of one speaker’s journey into the afterlife with personified “Death” leading the way.

Emily Dickinson

Nationality: American

She penned nearly 1,800 poems, largely unpublished in her lifetime.

Key Poem Information

Unlock more with Poetry +

Central Message: Death is filled with uncertainty but doesn't have to be scary

Themes: Death , Immortality , Religion

Speaker: A woman in the afterlife

Emotions Evoked: Confidence , Courage

Poetic Form: Quatrain

Time Period: 19th Century

While the subject matter may not be entirely unique, few American poems are as well-known as this Emily Dickinson classic.

Poem Analyzed by Allisa Corfman

Degree in Secondary Education/English and Teacher of World Literature and Composition

In her poem ‘Because I could not stop for Death,’ Emily Dickinson ( Bio | Poems ) describes a close encounter with “Death” and “Immortality.” She uses personification to portray “Death” and “Immortality” as characters. Her familiarity with them at the beginning of the poem causes the reader to feel at ease with the idea of death. However, as the poem progresses, a sudden shift in tone causes readers to see it for what it really is: cruel and evil.

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Explore Because I could not stop for Death

• 3 Tone and Mood
• 4 Structure and Form
• 5 Literary Devices
• 6 Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
• 7 Historical Context
• 9 Similar Poetry

‘Because I could not stop for Death’  by Emily Dickinson ( Bio | Poems ) depicts a  speaker ’s perception of death, the afterlife, and the journey it takes to get there.

In the first lines of the poem, the speaker uses the famous line “Because I could not stop for Death,/ He kindly stopped for me”. This phrase hints at the personification that is going to be utilized throughout the stanzas to describe the experience of entering the afterlife. Death stopped for the speaker and helped her into the carriage that held “just ourselves/ And Immortality.”

They drive along the lane, and the speaker takes note of what she sees around her. She was in the process of putting away the life she knew and allowing this next stage of existence to take over. They pass a school, fields, and the setting sun (a very obvious symbol of death). The poem concludes with the speaker saying that it has been centuries since all this occurred, and she first realized the horse’s heads were pointed toward “eternity.”

There are several important themes in  ‘Because I could not stop for Death.’  The most obvious of these are mortality and death. What makes this poem’s take on these two themes so interesting is that they are depicted from a position of immortality. The speaker is already in the afterlife when she’s describing her experiences with death. This leads to another theme: immortality . This is part of the reason why the speaker is so calm throughout the majority of the poem. Such themes are also explored in other Emily Dickinson poems .

Tone and Mood

This poem has a very distinct tone and mood. The tone, which is the voice of the poet or speaker in the poem, is calm and measured. She is aware of what is happening around her but is not overly emotional about it. This is maintained throughout the first few stanzas until the speaker gets closer to death. At this point, things start to shift a little, and the tone becomes more sinister. This is seen through words like “Chill” and “quivering.” The last lines bring back the peace of the first part of the poem as the speaker matter-of-factly states that the horse’s heads are pointed towards eternity.

The mood of a poem is the emotional experience that the poet is attempting to create for the reader. It is what the reader should feel while reading and after finishing the poem. In the case of this particular poem, the tone and mood are tied together.

Structure and Form

‘Because I could not stop for Death’  by Emily Dickinson ( Bio | Poems ) is a six stanza poem that is divided into sets of four lines, known as quatrains . These quatrains do not follow a single rhyme scheme, although there are examples of perfect rhyme in the poem. For example, “me,” “immortality,” and “civility” in the first two stanzas.

The meter is much more consistent. It resembles a regular metrical pattern. The first and third lines are made up of four sets of two beats, or a total of eight syllables. The first of these beats is untressed, and the second is stressed. This is known as iambic tetrameter . The second and fourth lines also use iambs (or unstressed and stressed beats) but there are only three sets of two beats in each line. This is known as iambic trimeter .

Literary Devices

Dickinson makes use of several literary devices in  ‘Because I could not stop for Death.’  These include but are not limited to alliteration , allusion , personification, and enjambment . The first of these, alliteration,   occurs when words are used in succession, or at least appear close together, and begin with the same sound. For example, “labor” and “leisure” in the second stanza and “school” and “strove” in the third stanza.

Personification is one of the most obvious techniques at work in this poem. It occurs when a poet imbues a non-human creature or object with human characteristics.  Death is very clearly personified in the first stanza. He acts as the speaker’s suitor, encouraging her to get into the carriage and ride with him into the unknown. He is both “kind” and civil. 

An allusion is an expression that’s meant to call something specific to the mind without directly stating it.  Although it is not clearly stated in the lines of this poem, it is clear that the speaker is supposed to be in some sort of afterlife, likely the Christian concept of heaven. But, the fact that it is not stated explicitly allows any number of interpretations about what kind of world the speaker is living in now. 

Another important technique commonly used in poetry is enjambment. It occurs when a line is cut off before its natural stopping point. Enjambment forces a reader down to the next line and the next quickly. One has to move forward in order to comfortably resolve a phrase or sentence.  For example, the transition between lines three and four of the first stanza and two and three of the second.

Analysis, Stanza by Stanza

Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality.

In Emily Dickinson’s poem ‘Because I could not stop for Death,’ the author personifies death, portraying him as a close friend or perhaps even a gentleman suitor. In the first stanza, she reveals that she welcomes death when she says, “He kindly stopped for me.” The pleasant tone of the poem further suggests that the author is quite comfortable with death.

We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility –

The carriage ride is symbolic of the author’s departure from life. She is in the carriage with death and immortality. Dickinson reveals her willingness to go with death when she says that she had “put away…labor and…leisure too, for his civility”. This further reveals that the author has come to terms with her own mortality.

She has set down all she wanted to do in life and willingly entered the carriage with Death and Immortality. She may be aware that had she not gone willingly, they would have taken her captive nonetheless, but this does not seem to alter her perception of the two characters as kind, thoughtful, and even gentle. This is portrayed as Death drives slowly for her, allowing her to reminisce. He “knew no haste” as they drove. He takes her through the course of her life with a slow and patient ride. Immortality rides along but is silent.

Stanza Three

We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun –

They drove “passed the School where the Children strove” implying that the author is generously given a few moments to remember her childhood. They then drive past the “Gazing Grain” allowing the author to think back upon the prime of her life. Then they pass the setting sun. This symbolizes the author’s death. The sunset is beautiful and gentle, and the passing from life to eternity is portrayed as such.

Stanza Four

Or rather – He passed Us – The Dews drew quivering and Chill – For only Gossamer, my Gown – My Tippet – only Tulle –

There is a sudden shift in tone in the fourth stanza. Suddenly, now that the sun has set, the author realizes that she is quite cold, and she shivers. Then, she becomes aware that she is underdressed. Prior to this moment of realization, the author felt quite comfortable with Death and Immortality. After all, she was riding along with them in only her “gossamer” and her “Tippet – only Tulle”, or in other words, in only a sheer nightgown.

In the first through third stanzas, the author is on close, affectionate terms with Death and Immortality. Describing Death as a gentleman suitor who is kind and civil, she shows no shame at being underdressed. However, when the sun sets and the cold damp sets in, she becomes aware of her inappropriate attire.

Stanza Five

We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – in the Ground –

In her moment of realization that she has been seduced by Death, they pause before her new “house,” a “Swelling of the Ground.” She claims that “The Roof was scarcely visible” and the “Cornice – in the Ground.” The tone becomes one of disappointment as the author realizes that death is not all she thought it would be. Now, as the sun has set on her life, and she is standing before her new forever home, disappointment sets in. Death was kind and gentle, like a gentleman suitor. He lured her in with grandiose promises of eternity. Now that she sees her small, damp, eternal home, she feels cheated.

Since then – ’tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses’ Heads Were toward Eternity –

It has now been “Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day” as life goes on without her. It has been centuries since that moment of realization when she “first surmised” that Death had seduced her, that he had appeared a kindly gentleman at first but had left her alone in the dark, cold, damp grave.

Historical Context

‘Because I could not stop for Death’ was published in 1863 and is believed to have been written between 1855 and 1863 (The Dickinson Properties). These are the years in which Emily Dickinson ( Bio | Poems ) wrote most intensely. During Dickinson’s early years, she experienced the death of many people close to her, including that of her cousin. It is easy to see why she felt familiar with death. Dickinson also lived near a cemetery, so she watched many people, even loved ones, riding in a hearse to their final resting places. This is a likely inspiration for the setting of this poem.

In times of sorrow, she would likely have heard sermons about salvation, paradise, and mansions waiting in eternity. During Dickinson’s lifetime, many of her close family members and friends joined the church as the 1830s saw what many referred to as “revivals” or “awakenings,” in which many people proclaimed faith in Jesus Christ and eternal life (The Dickinson Properties).

‘Because I could not stop for Death’ makes it very clear that Dickinson, at some point in her life, viewed death as something sweet and gentle. She welcomed death, perhaps because of the idea that she would be only passing from this life to somewhere better. This is portrayed in the first stanza of the poem when the author begins her ride with Death, viewing him as a welcome and familiar friend. She is calm and reflective as she passes by the schoolchildren and the grain field. She’s at peace watching the beautiful sunset in her life. But when the warmth of the sun is gone and the damp cold sets in, she looks at her new home, and it isn’t a mansion in the sky (John 14:1-3), but merely a swelling of the ground.

Dickinson appears to have toyed with the idea of believing in an afterlife in paradise, but in the end, claimed that she was “one of the lingering bad ones,” which suggests that she wanted to believe in life after death in paradise but could not. In the end, she believed the grave was her final resting place (The Dickinson Properties).

‘Because I could not stop for Death’ is a simple lyric that talks about Emily Dickinson’s fearlessness in the face of death. The title of the poem means that the poetic persona has no time to wait for death. Her mind is fearless and rational. She takes death as a natural phenomenon, like the withering of plants. There is no fear in accepting what must occur. Hence, the poet can’t burden her mind with the thoughts of something natural not only to herself but also to the whole of humankind.

The message of the poem, ‘Because I could not stop for Death,’ is one should not fear death as it’s not as horrific as one thinks. Death is rather gentlemanly, prudent, and civilized.

‘Because I could not stop for Death’ was written as the poet’s response to death. Dickinson wrote this poem to express her wish to attain salvation. Moreover, she wishes for an eternal life blessed with the care of God. Through writing this poem, the poet also highlights her attitude towards oblivion and her acceptance of death as it is. Her belief in the afterlife is emphasized in this poem.

Emily Dickinson never published the poem, but it is estimated that she wrote ‘Because I could not stop for Death’ in the early 1860s. The poem was only publicly published posthumously in 1890, in the collection ‘The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Series 1.’

Emily Dickinson was familiar not only with the Bible but also with contemporary popular culture. She was influenced by the romantic poets of England and America. In her poems, one can find the dominant theme of ‘memento moriu’ or ‘remember you will die.’ This theme was the stock-in-trade theme of the romantics. So, it’s better to say she was a Romantic poet. However, some of her poems also encompass transcendental thoughts.

The main theme of ‘Because I could not stop for Death’ is death and immortality. In this poem, the poet describes how she visualizes death and what’s its role in her life.

The central topic of the poem is the inevitability of death and the poet’s calm acceptance of it. Moreover, Dickinson projects her belief in the Christian afterlife and eternity in this poem. She doesn’t fear death. Her heart is pleased to have such a gentlemanly and civilized person, such as death, as her charioteer in the journey towards eternity.

The very first line of the poem, ‘Because I could not stop for Death,’ contains irony . In old age, one waits tensely for the upcoming death and fears death’s cold yet firm grips. In contrast , Emily Dickinson can’t even stop to think about death. In her active life, she didn’t stop for death. It is death who stopped to receive the poet and accompanied her towards eternity. In this way, the poet implies irony in the first line of the poem.

Death is personified . The capitalization of the first letter of ‘Death’ signifies that the poet invests that abstract idea with hearing and feeling. Moreover, ‘Death’ is compared to a bold companion of the poet. He is gentlemanly and civilized. The poet depicts ‘Death’ as the charioteer of her journey towards eternity.

‘Because I could not stop for Death’ is a lyric poem. Dickinson wrote this poem from the first-person point of view . From the very first line, it becomes clear it’s going to be a subjective poem about the inevitability of death and eagerness for eternity. However, the first-person speaker presented in the poem makes it an example of a free-verse lyric.

In ‘Because I could not stop for Death,’ Emily Dickinson uses personification in the second line of the poem. Here, the poet says, ‘He kindly stopped for me.’ The reference to ‘Death’ in the first line and the capitalization of the first letter of the word, makes it clear that the poet compares death to a human being as well as a charioteer who leads the poet towards eternity.

In ‘Because I could not stop for Death,’ Emily Dickinson personifies death and compares it with a charioteer. According to the poet, death is a gentleman and civilized in his attitude . He is neither rash nor that terrifying creature one thinks of. It is human beings who imagine death as something formidable and horrific. But, in Dickinson’s poem, death is her bold companion.

Emily Dickinson compares death to the controller of the chariot that leads one to eternity. With her, there is another abstract idea: immortality. From the idea of the poem, it becomes clear that the poet incorporates immortality as a companion in her journey to heaven since she has trust in the Christian belief of the afterlife. In the afterlife, one attains immortality for the blessings of God.

“My Tippet – only Tulle –” contains two concepts. One is ‘Tippetu’ meaning a long scarf and ‘Tulleu’ meaning soft, fine silk. So, after her death, her dress also presents her mental state as well as her minimalistic lifestyle. The finesse of her scarf symbolically represents serenity in the afterlife.

Death is often personified for expressing what a poetic mind imagines of it. As in the case of ‘Because I could not stop for Death,’ Emily Dickinson presents her standpoints regarding death and immortality.

Similar Poetry

Dickinson’s  ‘Because I Could Not Stop for Death’  is one of the most famous poems about death and the afterlife. But there are many more that are worth reading. Some other very popular poems with original depictions of death include:

• ‘The Afterlife’ by Billy Collins ( Bio | Poems ) – It’s one of the best-known poems of Billy Collins . This poem is a witty depiction of death that allows the deceased to inhabit the world they imagined.
• ‘I Have a Rendezvous with Death’ by Alan Seeger ( Poems ) – This wartime poem describes the speaker’s coming and unavoidable death.
• ‘When Death Comes’ by Mary Oliver ( Poems ) – In this poem, the speaker ruminates on what happens after one passes away.
• ‘And Death Shall Have No Dominion’ by Dylan Thomas ( Bio | Poems ) – It’s one of the best Dylan Thomas poems . This poem casts a magical look at how death controls mankind.

You can also read more Emily Dickinson poems .

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I think the fact that she is disappointed in the later stanzas is being read into the poem. I don’t find the language suggesting disappointment at all. To me it just sounds like plain unemotional observation, a lack of emotion that hints at death.

I think you’re right.

NOOOOO!!!! YOU AR RONG!! 1!!! TIS IS NOT COREC AT ALL AND I AM GOING TOOO TLL ON U TO MI TEACER

As a teacher myself I am well aware that the worst that could happen is that your teacher gives me a warning. I’m not even going to get a detention for this 😉

this poems touches my soul

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Right there with you.

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Corfman, Allisa. "Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/emily-dickinson/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death/ . Accessed 3 August 2024.

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“Because I could not Stop for Death”: Analysis

Emily Dickinson’s popular poem “Because I could not Stop for Death” is considered a masterpiece of the spiritual journey of a mystic from this world to the other world.

Introduction to “Because I could not Stop for Death”

Emily Dickinson’s popular poem “Because I could not Stop for Death” is considered a masterpiece of the spiritual journey of a mystic from this world to the other world. Published posthumously in 1890 under the title of “The Chariot,” this poem brings into light the desire of the poet to welcome death, which is generally considered an unwelcomed companion. In fact, this poem tells a story personifying Death as a male companion. The woman, who happens to be the poet herself, sits with Death in the carriage to go to eternity. The gentleman, Death, takes her politely on the ride. However, against the conventions, there is also a strange and somewhat esoteric stranger in the carriage. This mysterious stranger is Immortality. The time given in the poem is of late-afternoon. The journey entails the carriage and all three passengers going through wheat fields, with the children playing in the ground and the setting sun. The journey seems a spiritual ride toward death which is not considered a good subject of poetry. However, it seems that the poet still remembers that this journey took place centuries ago. Although several themes have been woven into this spiritual strand, the most beautiful thing about this poem is that every incident, every turn, and every scene demonstrates the skill of using beautiful images , triggering a sort of mystic response from its readers. “Because I could not Stop for Death” shows imagery and figurative language, the spiritual journey toward Eternity, and the use of literary and poetic devices have added to the smooth reading and good comprehension of the poem.

Imagery and Figurative Language in “Because I could not Stop for Death”

Whereas the imagery and figurative language is concerned, “Because I could not Stop for Death” has ample evidences. The very title of the poem “Because I could not stop for Death” shows that “Death” has initial capitals which points to its being a proper noun and a person. This means that Dickinson has personified Death as an individual who takes her on a long ride. In his book, All Things Dickinson: An Encyclopedia of Emily Dickinson’s World, Wend Martin claims that this entire poem is an allegory in which the poet “ironically personifies death as a gentleman”, while the rest of the poem is woven around this theme. The metaphor of passing and the poet’s ambivalence toward this universal phenomenon of death lend an eerie atmosphere to the final imagery of the grave and graveyard (535). The ambivalence is perhaps embedded within the poet’s mind as well as in the poem itself because the double meanings of death a good as well as a deceitful companion becomes accentuated when the poem reaches the end. The images of “the School, Fields of Gazing Grain, the Setting Sun, the Dews, the Ground, A Swelling in the Ground” are enough to point out the use of images intended to enhance its specific meanings. The expertise of the poet could be gauged from the fact that she has used highly informal language used in everyday conversation and that too as if it is a dialogue between the poet and Death, her friend. Yet, this has not marred the spiritual quality of the poem. Rather, this colloquial diction has enhanced the seriousness of the message of the poem such as, “We paused before a House that seemed / A Swelling of the Ground” where this becomes very somber that now it is the grave where they have paused (17-18).

Presentation of Spiritual Journey in “Because I could not Stop for Death”

Another interpretation of the poem “Because I could not stop for Death” is the presentation of a spiritual journey from life to death and from the physical to the spiritual world. However, this journey is contrary to common journeys that poets narrate regarding their spiritual odysseys. In fact, this is a very simple journey having profound symbolic meanings. If death and immortality in small letters are taken from a Christian perspective, it means a person goes with death to have a better place to live in paradise. The time becomes irrelevant when a person dies. As Dickinson has pointed out in the last lines that “Since then-’tis Centuries-”, it means this is the journey from transience to eternity. However, another interpretation points to Death as a male suitor taking the poet away from this humdrum of life. The poet has presented this suitor very beautifully as a kind person who comes and takes her on the final journey. This represents her love for Death which other common people dread to think. Commenting on this aspect of the poem, Charles Anderson argues “Although she was aware this is a last ride, since his ‘Carriage’ can only be a hearse, its terror is subdued by the ‘Civility’ of the driver who is merely serving the end of ‘Immortality” (Anderson). However, the important point of this journey is that the poet has made the readers see and observe and not think and analyze. This aspect of the poem has made it a literal journey toward spiritualism.

Technical Aspects of “Because I could not Stop for Death”

As far as the technical aspects of “Because I could not Stop for Death” are concerned, it is a remarkable poem not only from the view of its word choice but also from its rhythm and rhyme scheme. The poem comprises total six stanzas, each having five lines. The stanzas have been made balanced through the use of iambic tetrameter and trimester as each line has either four feet or three feet, making it have a good musical rhyme. The use of end rhyme and internal rhyme have further made it oscillate from the first to the second line and then move back and forth, strengthening its rhythmic quality further. With it, the poet has used very good figures of sounds such as the use of alliteration. The repetition of the sound of “c” ion the first line and “t” in the 24 th lines have balanced each line. Campbell, in his article, “Critical Perspectives on Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson”, says, “What holds the poem so remarkably taut is the steady, unruffled tone” (Campbell). This tone changes with the use of technical devices as the poet moves from one stanza to another. The first stanza shows that Emily Dickinson is happy to go on this journey with this gentleman named, Death. She seems fully confident. However, as the journey moves forward, she becomes confused in the third and fourth stanzas. In fact, this is the mention of some worldly things which seem to present her confusion about whether she is leaving this world happily or sadly. Death, in fact, is taking her toward her grave. However, she thinks it is immortality, while death is the actual death.

In short, this poem “Because I could not stop for Death” has made Emily Dickinson to be remembered as one of the best spiritual and mystical poets. She has written several poems and presented the concept of death in several other poems, but it has never been presented in such a gentle playful mood as in “Because I could not stop for death.” The poem has achieved the status of a classical poem on the basis of the use of images during the last journey. Different figures of speech such as the use of personification, metaphors, alliterations, paradoxes, and use of mechanics have accentuated the meanings of this spiritual journey. Further beauty has been added with technical devices such as the use of mechanics, rhyme scheme, rhythm, and above all its meter. In this connection, the efforts of the poet need appreciation because it is not easy to handle such a complicated theme in such a nice manner. Only an accomplished poet can bring smoothness and comprehension in such an abstruse piece of poetry. Emily Dickinson has done it remarkably and successfully.

Bibliography (in APA)

• Campbell Dr. “Critical Perspectives on Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson.” WSU. Retrieved on March 15, 2016 from http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/dickinsoncriticism.pdf.
• Martin, W. (2014). All Things Dickinson: An Encyclopedia of Emily Dickinson’s World. ABC-CLIO. Print. 532-536.
• Anderson, C.R. “On 712 (“Because I could not stop for Death”).” American Poetry. Retrieved on March 15 2016 from http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/dickinson/712.htm.
• Dickinson, E. “Because I could not stop for Death.” Poetry Foundation. Retrieved on March 15, 2016 from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/177119

Relevant Questions about “Because I could not stop for Death”

• How does Emily Dickinson use personification and metaphor to portray Death as a courteous and patient suitor in “Because I could not stop for Death,” and what effect does this portrayal have on the poem’s tone and themes?
• What is the significance of the journey and the various stops, such as the school, the grain field, and the setting sun, in “Because I could not stop for Death”? How do these stops contribute to the poem’s exploration of mortality and the afterlife?
• Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death” explores the concept of time and the inevitability of death. How does the poem address the theme of immortality and the enduring nature of the soul? What literary devices and imagery does Dickinson employ to convey these ideas?

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Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Literature › Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s Because I could not stop for Death

Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s Because I could not stop for Death

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on July 5, 2020 • ( 0 )

One of Dickinson’s most famous and widely discussed poems, Fr 479 appeared in the first 1890 edition of her poems, edited by Mabel Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Higginson had given it the inappropriate title “The Chariot,” thinking, perhaps, of an image from classical times that survived in Victorian paintings of Apollo, patron of the arts, carrying the artist to heaven in his chariot. (Farr, Passion, 329). The editors seriously disfigured the poem by omitting the fourth stanza; and Mrs. Todd “improved on” the poet’s exact rhyme in stanza 3, rhyming “Mound” with “Ground” instead. Not until the publication of Johnson’s 1955 Poems were readers able to see the restored poem. Despite this, it had already been singled out as one of her greatest and continues to be hailed as a summary statement of her most important theme: death and immortality. As in all of Dickinson’s complex works, however, the language and structure of the poem have left readers plenty of room to find varying and sometimes sharply opposed interpretations. At one end of the spectrum are those who view the poem as Dickinson’s ultimate statement of the soul’s continuance; at the other end are those who see the poem as intrinsically ironic and riddled with doubt about the existence of an afterlife; in the middle are those who find the poem indisputably ambiguous.

Scholars have suggested that Dickinson’s carriage ride with Death was inspired by a biographical incident—the 1847 death of Olivia Coleman, the beautiful older sister of Emily’s close friend Eliza M. Coleman, who died of a tubercular hemorrhage while out riding in a carriage. But there are also abundant cultural sources for the image. The poem’s guiding metaphor of a young woman abducted by Death goes back to the classical myth of Persephone, daughter of Ceres, who is carried off to the underworld by Hades. In medieval times, “Death and the Maiden” was a popular iconographic theme, sometimes taking the form of a virgin sexually ravished by Death.

Doubtless aware of these traditions, Dickinson made of them something distinctly her own. Not only did she transplant the abduction to the country roads of her native New England, she transformed the female “victim,” not into a willing or even passionate lover of Death, but into an avid witness/participant in the mysterious transition from life to death, and from human time to eternity. The speaker never expresses any direct emotion about her abduction; indeed, she never calls it that. She seems to experience neither fear nor pain. On the other hand, there is no indication that she is enamored of Death: She is too busy to stop for him and it is he, the courtly suitor, who takes the initiative. But she does not resist. Death’s carrying her away is presented as a “civility,” an act of politeness. And she responds with equal good manners, putting away her labor and her leisure, too, that is, the whole of her life. What does draw her powerfully is the journey, which she observes and reports in scrupulous detail. The poem is her vehicle for exploring the question that obsessed her imagination: “What does it feel like to die?” Note that there is a third “passenger” in the carriage—“Immortality”—the chaperone who guarantees that the ride will have an “honorable” outcome. Immortality is a promise already present, as opposed to the “Eternity” of the final stanza, toward which the “Horses’ Heads” advance. Eternity is the ultimate transformation of time toward which the poem moves. In stanza 1, the speaker, caught up in this-worldly affairs, has no time for Death, but he slows her down. By stanza 2, she has adjusted her pace to his. Stanza 3, with its triple repetition of “We passed,” shows them moving in unison past the great temporal divisions of a human life: childhood (the children competing at school, in a ring game), maturity (the ripeness of the “Gazing Grain”) and old age (the “Setting Sun”). As the stages of life flash before the eyes of the dying, the movement of the carriage is steady and stately.

But with the pivotal first line of stanza 4, any clear spatial or temporal orientation vanishes; poem and carriage swerve off in an unexpected manner. Had the carriage passed the sunset, its direction—beyond earthly life—would have been clear. But the line “Or rather—He passed Us” gives no clear sense of the carriage’s movement and direction.

It is as if the carriage and is passengers are frozen in time. The sun appears to have abandoned the carriage—as reflected in the increasing coldness that envelops the speaker. She is inadequately dressed for the occasion, in “Gossamer,” which can mean either a fine filmy piece of cobweb or a flimsy, delicate material, and a “Tippet,” that is, a small cape or collar. While tippets were commonly made of fur or other substantial materials, this one is of “tulle”—the fine silk netting used in veils or gowns. All at once, the serenely observing speaker is a vulnerable physical presence, dressed for a wedding or ball, but “quivering” with a coldness that suggests the chill of the grave. A note of uneasiness and disorientation, that will only grow stronger from this point on, has been injected into what began as a self-assured journey. This is a stunning example of how “Dickinson, suddenly, midpoem, has her thought change, pulls in the reins on her faith, and introduces a realistic doubt” (Weisbuch, “Prisming”, 214).

In stanza 5, the carriage “pauses” at “a House that seemed/ A Swelling in the Ground—,” presumably the speaker’s newly dug grave. The word “Swelling” is ominous, suggesting an organic, tumorlike growth. But there is no unified physical picture of what the speaker sees. In line 2, the ground is swelling upward. In lines 3 and 4, the House has sunk; its cornice, the ornamental molding just below the ceiling, is “in the Ground.” The repetition of the word “Ground” stresses its prominence in the speaker’s consciousness. It is as if all her attempts to hold on to the things of this world—the children at school, the grain, the setting sun, the cobweb clothing, the shapeless swelling of a House—have culminated in this single relentless image.

Then, in a leap that takes us to the poem’s final stanza, the speaker is in a different order of time, where centuries feel shorter than the single day of her dying. This is the poem’s only “description” of Eternity and what it implies is that life is immeasurably denser, fuller, weightier. Eternity has no end, but it is empty. Significantly, in the speaker’s recollection of the final, weighty day, “Death” is not present. Instead, she invokes the apocalyptic vision of “the Horses’ Heads” (a synecdoche for the horses) racing toward Eternity. But, for the speaker, seated in Death’s carriage, the horses’ heads are also an obstruction, “they are all she can see, or what she cannot see beyond” (Cameron, “Dickinson’s Fascicles,” 156). They point to the fact that the poem is an artifice, an attempt to imagine what cannot be imagined. “Toward Eternity—” remains only a “surmised” direction.

FURTHER READING Sharon Cameron, “Dickinson’s Fascicles,” in Handbook, Grabher et al., eds., 149–150, 156, and Lyric Time, 121–133; Judith Farr, Passion, 92–93, 329– 33; Kenneth L. Privratsky, “Irony in Emily Dickinson’s ‘Because I could not . . .,’ ” 25–30; Robert B. Sewall, Life, II, 572, 717–718; and Cynthia Griffin Wolff, Emily Dickinson, 274–276; Robert Weisbuch, “Prisming,” Handbook, 216–217.

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Analysis of 'Because I Could not Stop for Death'

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Emily Dickinson, the renowned American poet, is celebrated for her unique style and introspective approach to her craft. Born in 1830 in Amherst, USA, into a prominent family associated with Amherst College, her literary legacy endures through her idiosyncratic writing style characterized by capitalization and dashes. Despite leading an isolated life, Emily Dickinson's poetry resonates with readers of all ages and backgrounds. Her work delves into themes of faith and death, offering deeply personal reflections. While her social commentary is limited, her intense and introspective exploration of the human psyche leaves a lasting impact.

One of her most iconic poems, "Because I could not stop for Death," published posthumously in 1890, is a masterpiece that takes readers on a journey with death itself. Through vivid imagery, Dickinson portrays death not as an end but as a transition to immortality, challenging traditional perceptions of mortality and sadness. This poem, like many of her others, showcases her penchant for dashes and careful word choices. Emily Dickinson's contributions to American poetry continue to be revered, inviting readers to ponder the mysteries of existence, death, and eternity through her thought-provoking verses.

Table of contents

Introduction about author and poem, critical analysis, conclusion of poem, works cited.

• Dickinson, E. (1955). Poems of Emily Dickinson. (R. W. Franklin, Ed.). The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
• Dickinson, E. (1981). Because I could not stop for death. In T. H. Johnson (Ed.), The complete poems of Emily Dickinson (p. 300). Little, Brown and Company.
• Dickinson, E. (1999). The Letters of Emily Dickinson (Vol. 1). (T. H. Johnson, Ed.). Belknap Press.
• Dickinson, E. (2000). Emily Dickinson: Selected Poems and Commentaries. (H. Bloom, Ed.). Chelsea House Publishers.
• Gelpi, A. (1985). Emily Dickinson: The boundaries of emily dickinson. In J. Walker, R. Davis, & A. Johnson (Eds.), On Emily Dickinson : The Best from American Literature (pp. 27-38). Duke University Press.
• Mudge, J. (2009). Emily Dickinson: A Book of Essays. Oxford University Press.
• Nesteruk, P. (2013). Because I could not stop for death: An analysis of Emily Dickinson’s style. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, 2(2), 59-68.
• Piper, A. (2008). The Poetic Achievement of Emily Dickinson. Edinburgh University Press.
• Sewall, R. B. (1974). The Life of Emily Dickinson. Harvard University Press.
• Wolff, C. (1986). Emily Dickinson. Vintage Books.

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Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems

By emily dickinson, emily dickinson's collected poems summary and analysis of "because i could not stop for death --".

In this poem, Dickinson’s speaker is communicating from beyond the grave, describing her journey with Death , personified, from life to afterlife. In the opening stanza, the speaker is too busy for Death (“Because I could not stop for Death—“), so Death—“kindly”—takes the time to do what she cannot, and stops for her.

This “civility” that Death exhibits in taking time out for her leads her to give up on those things that had made her so busy—“And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too”—so they can just enjoy this carriage ride (“We slowly drove – He knew no haste”).

In the third stanza we see reminders of the world that the speaker is passing from, with children playing and fields of grain. Her place in the world shifts between this stanza and the next; in the third stanza, “We passed the Setting Sun—,” but at the opening of the fourth stanza, she corrects this—“Or rather – He passed Us –“—because she has stopped being an active agent, and is only now a part of the landscape.

In this stanza, after the realization of her new place in the world, her death also becomes suddenly very physical, as “The Dews drew quivering and chill—,” and she explains that her dress is only gossamer, and her “Tippet,” a kind of cape usually made out of fur, is “only Tulle.”

After this moment of seeing the coldness of her death, the carriage pauses at her new “House.” The description of the house—“A Swelling of the Ground—“—makes it clear that this is no cottage, but instead a grave. Yet they only “pause” at this house, because although it is ostensibly her home, it is really only a resting place as she travels to eternity.

The final stanza shows a glimpse of this immortality, made most clear in the first two lines, where she says that although it has been centuries since she has died, it feels no longer than a day. It is not just any day that she compares it to, however—it is the very day of her death, when she saw “the Horses’ Heads” that were pulling her towards this eternity.

Dickinson’s poems deal with death again and again, and it is never quite the same in any poem. In “Because I could not stop for Death—,” we see death personified. He is no frightening, or even intimidating, reaper, but rather a courteous and gentle guide, leading her to eternity. The speaker feels no fear when Death picks her up in his carriage, she just sees it as an act of kindness, as she was too busy to find time for him.

It is this kindness, this individual attention to her—it is emphasized in the first stanza that the carriage holds just the two of them, doubly so because of the internal rhyme in “held” and “ourselves”—that leads the speaker to so easily give up on her life and what it contained. This is explicitly stated, as it is “For His Civility” that she puts away her “labor” and her “leisure,” which is Dickinson using metonymy to represent another alliterative word—her life.

Indeed, the next stanza shows the life is not so great, as this quiet, slow carriage ride is contrasted with what she sees as they go. A school scene of children playing, which could be emotional, is instead only an example of the difficulty of life—although the children are playing “At Recess,” the verb she uses is “strove,” emphasizing the labors of existence. The use of anaphora with “We passed” also emphasizes the tiring repetitiveness of mundane routine.

The next stanza moves to present a more conventional vision of death—things become cold and more sinister, the speaker’s dress is not thick enough to warm or protect her. Yet it quickly becomes clear that though this part of death—the coldness, and the next stanza’s image of the grave as home—may not be ideal, it is worth it, for it leads to the final stanza, which ends with immortality. Additionally, the use of alliteration in this stanza that emphasizes the material trappings—“gossamer” “gown” and “tippet” “tulle”—makes the stanza as a whole less sinister.

That immorality is the goal is hinted at in the first stanza, where “Immortality” is the only other occupant of the carriage, yet it is only in the final stanza that we see that the speaker has obtained it. Time suddenly loses its meaning; hundreds of years feel no different than a day. Because time is gone, the speaker can still feel with relish that moment of realization, that death was not just death, but immortality, for she “surmised the Horses’ Heads/Were toward Eternity –.” By ending with “Eternity –,” the poem itself enacts this eternity, trailing out into the infinite.

Emily Dickinson’s Collected Poems Questions and Answers

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Study Guide for Emily Dickinson’s Collected Poems

Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems study guide contains a biography of Emily Dickinson, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems
• Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems Summary
• "Because I could not stop for Death" Video
• Character List

Essays for Emily Dickinson’s Collected Poems

Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Emily Dickinson's poems.

• Faith Suspended
• Death: Triumph or Tragedy?
• The Vision of Heaven in Emily Dickinson's Poetry
• Emily Dickinson's Quest for Eternity
• The Source of Eroticism in Emily Dickinson's Wild Nights! Wild Nights!

Lesson Plan for Emily Dickinson’s Collected Poems

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems Bibliography

E-Text of Emily Dickinson’s Collected Poems

Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems e-text contains the full text of Emily Dickinson's Collected Poems.

• PREFACE TO FIRST SERIES
• PREFACE TO SECOND SERIES
• PREFACE TO THIRD SERIES
• This is my letter to the world
• Part One: Life 1. Success is counted sweetest

Wikipedia Entries for Emily Dickinson’s Collected Poems

• Introduction

• Dickinson’s Because I Could Not Stop for Death Poem Analysis Words: 685
• Death in Emily Dickinson’s Poems Words: 1478
• “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson Words: 643
• Death in Poetry: the Analysis of Poems by E. Dickinson, J. Donne, and A. Sexton Words: 696
• Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” Poetic Techniques Words: 804
• Because I Could Not Stop for Death Analysis Words: 1381
• Emily Dickenson’s Poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” Words: 687
• Emily Dickinson’s Reasons to Write About Death Words: 1407
• Love and Death in Poetry by Emily Dickinson Words: 1015
• John Donne’s “Death Be Not Proud” Poem Analysis Words: 1725
• The Poem “Everyman”: Author’s Perception of Death Words: 1733
• Emily Dickinson’s and William Carlos Williams’ Poems Words: 697
• Emily Dickenson: Because I could not Stop for Death Words: 812
• Death in Poems: “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” Words: 579

“Because I Could Not Stop For Death” by Emily Dickinson Poem Analysis And Explication

Introduction.

Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death’ expresses the writer’s perception of death. The writer focuses mainly on the construct of life after death. The setting of the poem reflects the contexts in which death draws near, and the writer puts these circumstances as genial and compassionate. Through prognostication of immortality, fear fades away and death becomes acceptable and welcomed. In principle, human beings never think that death comes at the right time because we are never prepared for it. This is a six-stanza poem with each stanza giving a different perception from the others. In the first, the writer is so busy to stop for death, but it stops for her instead while in the second stanza the writer draws a personal view of death. On the other side, in the third stanza, she observes the steps of life; the fourth stanza talks of death, and in the fifth stanza, she reflects on life without time. The sixth talks of the destiny of this journey called life.

The poem opens by stating how the writer is too busy for death. When she says, ‘because I could not stop for death”, the reader is most likely to wonder why it was so. Nevertheless, just like any other mortal being, the writer was so much engrossed in her life that she had no time to reflect on death. Interestingly, the fact that people do not think about death, does not mean that it does not exist. Dickinson comes to this reality when she says, “He kindly stopped for me.” Then she startles the reader again by saying ‘The Carriage held but just ourselves — And Immortality.” The reader gets the notion that life is our highly valued possession and it assures immortality. The reader can almost see the writer on a carriage drawn by a horse and a genial, polite gentleman having made great efforts to stop for her. In this ride, they are only two, the writer and the polite gentleman and a third ‘party’; immortality. Even though the reader has read-only four lines of the poem to this point, he or she can sense that the writer is talking of an unusual barmy ride, death. The word “he” in reference to death constitutes a metaphor.

This stanza talks of the writer doing away with her labor and leisure. In the carriage, they are traveling without haste. There is no work or leisure and the reader anticipates this because in death these things are no more. The only thing remaining here is a journey; a journey the writer is traveling with a polite gentleman on a leisurely carriage. Due to this man’s civility, the writer gives away the things she treasured in life easily.

This stanza describes how life passes before one’s eyes. There is a portrayal of passing landscape as the writer and the gentleman continue in their journey in the company of ‘immortality.’ As they move on, they “passed the school, where children strove”, “the fields of gazing grain”, and “the setting sun.” Dickinson uses these stages as a symbol of the three stages of life. School here means childhood, the morning of life. Gazing fields represent midday of lifetime. These are the working and maturity years. Lastly, the setting sun stands for the evening time of life. This is how life passes before one’s eyes as he or she watches. It is the process of the soul parting with the body. The stylistic device used in this stanza is anaphora. This comes out through the repetition of ‘we passed’ at the start of every line.

This is contradicting stanza. In stanza three, the carriage seems to overtake the sun. However, in stanza four, the reader is thrown into confusion, as the sun appears to overtake the carriage. The writer leaves the reader without further comment on the reversed occasions. She plunges into some frigidity, as the air turns cold with the formation of the dew. The writer never anticipated this kind of weather as she was in a thin robe and lace shawl “tippet.” This is a symbolism of marrying death. The form of dressing and the weather also depicts how unprepared for death we are. The writer is dressed in a “gossamer gown” and this is a gown for wedding death. The ‘tt’ in ‘tippet’ and ‘tulle’ amounts to alliteration.

This stanza can be dubbed “A House in the Ground.” This house is the grave. This point unveils the destiny of this long slow journey. Dickinson could not describe this house better: “A Swelling of the Ground — / The Roof was scarcely visible — / The Cornice — in the Ground.” The reader understands without a doubt that, the house here refers to the grave, where the writer is destined to reside forever. The invisibility of the roof depicts how death is complex and no one can understand it in terms of what happens after one die. There is also alliteration in ‘ss’ portrayed in ‘swelling’ ‘was’ and ‘visible’.

In this stanza, the reader is taken into centuries in the future, only to realize that the writer is speaking from the comfort of her cosmic abode in eternity. She recounts the day she died. She muses over the things she saw during her lifetime. Nevertheless, there seems to be a paradox as she compares the period it took for those things to happen and how time is from her cosmic abode. She realizes that in eternity, a century is like a day. This is true given the fact that the life she is in is of eternity: timelessness. She finally realizes that the horse that was pulling the carriage was headed to eternity.

“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is a mastery poem by Emily Dickinson and it depicts her cool espousal of death. The experience of death to her is not frightening and it comes in form of a polite, kind, gentleman. This is a journey to the grave running from stanza one when death stops for her and they enter into a carriage with immortality on board. The journey takes a slow pace. This may symbolize death coming in form of a disease that may take a long time to kill. Stanza 3 is a review of the writer’s journey in life starting from childhood, through maturity to death. Dickinson presents this symbolically from school (childhood), through the fields of gazing grain (maturity), to sunset (death). Stanza 4 throws the reader into some confusion as one figures out who overtook whom, the sun or the carriage. The writer is not prepared for the adverse weather but instead, her dressing fits a wedding, the wedding of death. Stanza 5 refers to the grave as a house and this shows how the writer is comfortable with death. Actually, in death, life is so cool that a century seems like a day.

The theme of the poem is to show that death is a natural part of life and people should not fear it. This view reflects Dickinson’s personality and her Christian religion. Dickinson was an unmarried woman and never mingled with people often. As a Christian, she believed in immortality hence the friendly approach she had for death.

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Emily Dickinson is one of America’s greatest and most original poets of all time. She took definition as her province and challenged the existing definitions of poetry and the poet’s work. Like writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman, she experimented with expression in...

• U.S., New England

“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Dickinson Reviewed Essay (Critical Writing)

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Poetic devices play an important role in poetry by enhancing the poem and intensifying the audience’s mood. These poetic elements allow the audience to develop clear mental images. The audience can also feel and understand the poet’s emotions deeply to the extent that the audience can think that they were present was going through the same thing as the poet. Although “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Dickinson and “The Raven” by Poe were written decades apart, both use poetic devices in an enchanting manner to illustrate the concept of death and eternity. Through this analysis, the paper aims to determine the poets’ degree of use of poetic devices in their respective works.

Death and immortality are the central themes in both poems. In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” Dickinson portrays death as a gentleman whose arrival brings to a halt the labor and leisure of the living. The narrator reflects on the life lived, from when the narrator was a child with a whole life ahead of her to adulthood, which is implied by the symbolism used in lines 9 and 11. Death is also portrayed as a lonely journey as the carriage contains only death and the narrator (Dickinson). Similarly, in “The Raven,” Poe is devastated by the passing away of his love, Lenore. The narrator wonders whether the Raven came at the command of Pluto, who is the god of the underworld, Satan, or the storm, all who are in another world. The reciter is left in sadness as a result of the death of Lenore. In stanza seventeen, the narrator instructs the Raven to leave his loneliness (Poe). Dickenson, on the other hand, talks about death from an angle of a dead person. Both poems revolve around the concept of death and immortality.

In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” Dickinson uses symbolism to symbolize the human development from a child to an adult through the use of grains in the field and children at recess. In line 23, Dickenson also uses the setting sun to represent the end of life. The swelling ground symbolizes the grave (Dickson). Identically, in “The Raven,” the Raven represents the narrator’s grief following the death of his love Lenore. The bird also represents death. The chamber represents the isolation of the narrator from people, which is a sign of his overwhelming grief (Poe). In both poems, symbolism is used to express the complex idea of life and death.

Dickinson uses biblical allusion to demystify the concept of death. The horse that carries the narrator and death is an allusion to the fourth horse, in four-horse riders of the Apocalypse described in Revelation, which was also ridden by death. However, Edgar’s use of allusion in “The Raven” is unmatched. The poet employs both Biblical and mythological illusions. Aidenn, which translates to the Garden of Eden, Balm in Gilead, has medicinal properties and turning the white Raven to black alludes to Hebrew folklore (Bakhsh). Pallas, the god of Warcraft, Pluto the underworld ruler, and Ovid allude to Greek mythology. “The Raven” has a stronger allusion than “Because I Not Stop for Death” since it employs the utilization of both mythological and biblical allusions.

In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” death and the sun imbue human characteristics during the journey, death, and the narrator pauses. The narrator describes death as civil; likewise, in “The Raven,” death is personified. The narrator gives the Raven ability to speak. It responds to the narrator’s questions by uttering the word nevermore. Both poets give human attributes to nonhuman characters. Dickinson and Poe both use alliteration in their poems to create rhythm. The consonant sound /g/ in the word gazing and grain and the consonant sound /d/ in dews and drew closely follow each in succession in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” Likewise, in The Raven consonant sound /w/ in “weak and weary” and consonant sound /l/ in “lost Lenore,” each follow each other in close succession. The use of alliteration in both poems creates musical effects.

“The Raven” has eighteen stanzas, and each stanza has six lines. The poem has both internal rhymes and External rhymes. “Morrow” and” sorrow” in the second stanza are examples of words that create an internal rhyme. “Dreary” and “weary’ are used to create an external rhyme (Bakhsh). It has a regular scheme of ABCBBB for external rhyme patterns. On the other hand, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” has only six stanzas, each containing four lines, and even though the poem has internal and external rhymes, its rhyme scheme is also not as regular and strict as that of “The Raven.”

Dickinson uses dashes and capitalizes words even in the middle of the line throughout the poem to bring more attention to the words. Conversely, Poe only capitalizes words at the beginning of the sentence. Poe also uses Onomatopoeia rapping and tapping; the structure and the rhyme scheme of the two poems differ. Poems express the views and emotional states of their writers. Each poet is different; therefore, they use different poetic and literal devices to express themselves. When poets use the same device, the degree of use and the manner often differs, as shown in this paper.

A poem is a form of art, and poets leave unique signatures on their work in the process of expressing themselves. These signatures are formed by the poem’s structure, the poetic devices they use, and the magnitude of use of the selected devices. The analysis of these two poems has shown that the choice of selected devices and their magnitude of use differ from one poet to another, but themes such as death and grief are universal.

Works Cited

Bakhsh, Ladan Farah. “A Deconstructive Reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”.” Galore International Journal of Applied Sciences and Humanities, 2020.

Dickinson, Emily, The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Edited by Thomas H. Johnson. Little, Brown & Company, 1960.

Poe, Edgar Allan. The Raven:(1845). Trade Binders Local, 1998.

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IvyPanda. (2022, November 27). “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Dickinson Reviewed. https://ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-dickinson-reviewed/

"“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Dickinson Reviewed." IvyPanda , 27 Nov. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-dickinson-reviewed/.

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IvyPanda . 2022. "“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Dickinson Reviewed." November 27, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-dickinson-reviewed/.

1. IvyPanda . "“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Dickinson Reviewed." November 27, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-dickinson-reviewed/.

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Argumentative Essay On Because I Could Not Stop For Death By Emily Dickenson

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Literature , Poetry , Nature , Death , Poem , People , Issue , Print

Published: 01/31/2020

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In this case, explication is insinuated about in the title; “because I could not stop death” meaning that it seeks to respond to a given situation. The poem is an elaborative process that among other things questions the “speaker’s contentment to die? Is this poem about the fears that author could not face, for instance the fear or marriage. According to Maher personal fears have caused people to write very convincing and bizarre literary pieces (19). Explication serves the function of explaining the mysterious circumstances under which human beings find themselves. The creation of a mysterious scene as the one playing about in the poem by Dickinson envisages the mysteriousness of death. The first stanza, “because I could not stop for death- He kindly stopped me” (online-literature.com). The second scenario explains what happen in case death-the well recognized ‘stopper’ of all living things fails to stop the speaker. The conclusion reached as a result of the multiplicity of the evidence elaborates on the useful place that explication has in explaining natural mysteries. The line-by-line commentary in the poem generates a story on what happens next. Capner states that in explaining natural mysteries such as death, people put the issue in a manner to represent continuity (24). This makes the scenario less doomed and restores hope in say life after death. Explication helps people deal with the ethical concerns that are associated with the issue in question. According to Harris, the new explicit knowledge should not always be considered an improvement in language but also an improvement in terms of a poem’s deeper meanings (Bonolio, 12). Moreover, where judgements collide, the statements following an “improper” statement are usually followed by statements laden with reconciliatory tone and content that is seen to uphold ethics. Explication also widens the scope of literary piece. The line-by-line commentary may seem very innocuous but the overall process offers new meanings and insights. It is these insights that enrich debate around a literary piece. This could help in shedding more light to the major mysterious issues such as death that are raised in a given poem. The ending of this poem evokes the flashback ricks that are used in movies. The author seems to posit that he is dead and what seems to be happening now, actually happened centuries ago. To ensure that the literary piece prevents drastic and unfounded conclusions by the readers, explication prevents people from thinking out of context and exacerbating an already delicate issue concerning mystery.

Works Cited

"Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson." The Literature Network: Online classic literature, poems, and quotes. Essays & Summaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. . Bonolio, George. "Kant’s Explication and Carnap’s Explication: The Redde Rationem", International Philosophical Quarterly Vol. 43, No. 3, Issue 171, pp. 289–298. 2003. print Carnap, Richarrds, Logical foundations of probability, University of Chicago Press, Illinois. 1950. Print. Harrison, Strauss, "Explication without words - A composer's view", Organisations and People, August, Vol.13 (3), pp. 59–63. ISSN 1350-6269. 2006. Print Maher, Patrick,. Explication defended", Studia Logica, Volume 86, Number 2, July 2007, pp. 331–341. 2007. Print

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I Could Not Stop for Death

A moving story of acceptance and bravery in the face of an uncertain future told through the words of Joseph Litchfield Locke and poetry of Emily Dickinson. One group of soldiers face the un... Read all A moving story of acceptance and bravery in the face of an uncertain future told through the words of Joseph Litchfield Locke and poetry of Emily Dickinson. One group of soldiers face the unknown with courage in a time of complete chaos. A moving story of acceptance and bravery in the face of an uncertain future told through the words of Joseph Litchfield Locke and poetry of Emily Dickinson. One group of soldiers face the unknown with courage in a time of complete chaos.

• Emily Dickinson
• Joseph Litchfield Locke

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