Solace in Perpetuity; An Analysis of Emily Dickinson's Because I could not stop for Death


In "Because I could not stop for Death," the speaker reveals her calm acceptance of death by personifying death as her fiancé. She casts an air of anticipation upon death, rather than fear, as he escorts her on a carriage ride to eternity. The speaker manipulates the words in order to create powerful images that contribute to the overall theme of the poem. Although her tone concerning her experience with death can occasionally by interpreted as resentful sarcasm, sincerity remains most prominent and more thoroughly developed.  In "Because I could not stop for Death," the speaker reveals her conception of death and the infinite as a natural part of the endless cycle of nature through strongly symbolic figurative language, and vivid imagery.
Throughout the entire poem, the speaker employs strongly symbolic figurative language by means of portraying death as a blissful experience: a wedding. In stating, "Because I could not stop for Death/He kindly stopped for me" (1-2), the speaker characterizes death as a gentle and civil gentleman, even her fiancé, who will escort her to eternity. The speaker epitomizes her engagement with death as a mere carriage ride to eternity: "The carriage held but just ourselves/And Immortality" (3-4). The carriage ride is portrayed as a peaceful pursuit that is not to be feared, but anticipated: "We slowly drove, he knew no haste" (5). She goes on to reinforce the metaphor by describing her attire as a sheer, transparent wedding gown. She wears "only Gossamer, my Gown," (15) with a shawl of net-like fabric, "My tippet only tulle" (16). The transparency of the speaker's wedding garments signifies and foretells her upcoming immortal destination. The chill that the speaker feels, "The Dews drew quivering and chill," (14) as a result of her light garments reveals the speaker's current temporal existence that will soon be a sharp contrast with her upcoming transformation to immortality. In extending the metaphor, once she is wed, she shall be continually warm and peaceful. The ideal metaphor of death as her fiancé possesses pleasant connotations, as she draws upon the universal and relatable custom of marriage, a new beginning. Her perception of death as a blissful is enhanced as, although much leads up to marriage, so much follows the event as well.
The speaker successfully establishes the speaker's calm acceptance of death, through manipulation of language. In the first two lines of the poem, the speaker states, "Because I could not stop for Death/He kindly stopped for me" (1-2). Her use of the word, "kindly" (2) may be interpreted as sarcasm, implying that she is ungrateful that death came upon her at that particular time. Yet, the following lines, especially the final quatrain, and the context within the extended metaphor denote that her essential tone is sincerity, even gratitude towards the opportunity to experience death. In the last stanza, she denotes, "Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each/Feels shorter than the day/I first surmised the horses' heads/Were toward eternity". (21-24) The speaker's extension of the metaphor supports her tone of gratification, when she says, "The carriage held but just ourselves/And Immortality." (3-4) Furthermore, the speaker establishes a mood of serenity that can not be bred by sarcasm or ingratitude when she says: "We slowly drove/He knew no haste" (5). Clearly, the speaker cherishes her past life, but is content with her transformation on to eternity.
Imperative to the overall theme of the poem, the speaker generates vivid imagery that powerfully contributes to the depiction of death as a natural part of the endless cycle of nature. The literal picturesque image of the carriage transporting the speaker through the realms of mortality to immortality conjures up a reflective, serene peace of mind that death is not the end. The image of children playing outside, "At recess, in the ring" (10), followed by the "fields of gazing grain" (11) creates a reminder of the importance of innocence, as well as experience and maturity. The "setting sun" (12) serves as a vibrant, concrete, relatable depiction of the mortal life's conclusion. The setting sun, the ultimate symbol of the magnificence of nature in its entire splendor, serves as a daily reminder of the perpetual cycles of nature and life. The image of the wedding gown embodies powerful notions of spirituality and the divine. The fabrication of the emblematic horses' heads "toward eternity" (24) allows the interpreter to gain a more advanced awareness of the significance of this life and the value of death as a passage to immortality. The speaker imparts upon the reader a portion of her enhanced eternal perspective through the powerful imagery of the picturesque carriage, children, setting sun, gazing grain, wedding gown, and grave.
In "Because I could not stop for Death," the speaker employs strongly symbolic figurative language, and vivid imagery to reveal her calm acceptance of death and the infinite as a natural part of the endless cycle of nature. By characterizing death as her fiancé, she casts an air of anticipation upon death, rather than fear, as he escorts her on a carriage ride to eternity. The speaker articulates the words in order to create powerful images that provide an understanding of the incomprehensible. Although her tone concerning her experience with death can occasionally by interpreted as resentful sarcasm, sincerity remains most prominent and more thoroughly developed.  The final paradoxical quatrain evokes a pleasant tone of her new life, as time goes by quickly, "Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each/Feels shorter than the day". The speaker implies that she is looking back from eternity not just on childhood when she says, "Since then…I first surmised the horses' heads/Were toward eternity" (21-24). The speaker allows the reader to gain a small glimpse of the broader eternal perspective that the universe has to offer.

© 2008 by Rachel Lowry. All rights reserved.
Works Cited

Dickenson, Emily. "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" Literary Theory, A Very Short Introduction. Culler, Jonathan. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. 532.

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