From the Bookshelf of Morales 2341 Spring 2015 Class TTH…

Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Emily Dickinson

Start date: March 10, 2015

Finish date: March 12, 2015

Discussion: Death

Discussion leader: Lillian Morales

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Death

Paradise or Hell- Because I Could Not Stop For Death
By Lillian · 32 posts · 25 views

last updated Mar 23, 2015 11:29AM

Lies, Lies, Lies- The Death of Ivan Ilyich
By Lillian · 30 posts · 26 views

last updated Mar 17, 2015 12:42PM

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Mar 09, 2015 Risa.Garcia rated it it was amazing

It is unquestionably common for my personal thoughts to ponder into the future; thinking of where life will take me in just a few years is genuinely exciting for me. Although I do so very often, I almost never think of death; let alone think far enough into the future, or not so far for that matter, to think my own death. Reading Emily Dickinson’s literary work, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, commenced my thoughts to do so. I believe this poem is a must read because the narrator is easily It is unquestionably common for my personal thoughts to ponder into the future; thinking of where life will take me in just a few years is genuinely exciting for me. Although I do so very often, I almost never think of death; let alone think far enough into the future, or not so far for that matter, to think my own death. Reading Emily Dickinson’s literary work, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, commenced my thoughts to do so. I believe this poem is a must read because the narrator is easily relatable to by various audiences; therefore her thoughts on her situation with death stimulate readers’ thoughts as well.

The narrator of the poem tells of her trip we all will one day take; she described being so busy with living her life to full potential, that she has not given the thought of death any time of day. She offers no fears for the audience but rather a feeling of peace throughout the literature. Within the poem, the narrator reminisces of various aspects in her life from her school days, and growing mature, to her life slowing as she grew old; which leads to her final stage in life, death. All in all, she is content with what her soul has lived through and is prepared to be laid in the ground.

Dickinson utilizes the allusion of death throughout his literary work to allow the narrator connect with the audience on an emotional level, “Because I could not stop for Death- He kindly stopped for me- the Carriage held but just Ourselves- and Immortality”, proved the first stanza. Emily Dickinson has the narrator recollect her past to show the steady path toward death we so easily forget to think about as we grow toward our final stage as well; death passes us by regardless if we give thought to it or not. “Or rather- He passed Us”. Dickinson follows an astrophic pattern except for one stanza in her poem. She does so to show the significance of the word ground in the stanza before the last; the ground is the final milestone for the narrator, the end of her trip to death. The narrator is then forced to realize her stages throughout her life offer the peace a soul needs to rest in death.

I certainly gained a great level of attachment to the narrator while reading this poem because I was allowed to relate to the aspect of death Emily Dickinson made throughout the literary piece; I again believe other audiences can relate in such manner as well.
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