How do you evaluate the views of death presented in "Because I could not stop for death-"?

Let us remember that death was a perennial theme in the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and clearly it is the central subject of this excellent poem. What is notable about this poem, however, is the way that our expectations of death are defied and challenged by her description of death as a ride in a carriage with an elderly gentleman who politely stops to collect her. Dickinson, in this sense, deliberately attempts to demystify death and treat it as a natural process rather than the fearsome and terrifying experience that so many believe it to be. In particular, consider the final stanza of this poem and the way that the speaker seems only mildly surprised that they have actually died and have begun their journey on into the next life:

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet eachFeels shorter than the dayI first surmised the horses' headsWere toward eternity.

The wonder and surprise of the speaker is notable as she only seems to realise that she has died towards the end of the poem. Death then, in this poem, is presented as something that creeps up on you when you least expect it and takes you by surprise. It is not something that is threatening, however, but a profoundly natural process that clearly is just part of the cycle of life.

It is important to remember that this poem presents just one aspect of death, and it is very important to look at Dickinson's poems thematically to discuss her treatment of other aspects of death. However, in this poem, Dickinson seems to tame or deliberately demystify one of the most unknowable human experiences by deliberately describing it to be an activity that everybody could relate to.

One should not fear death since it is an integral part of the endless cycle of nature. How is this statement brought out in "Because I could not stop for Death"?

One of the fascinating aspects of this poem is the way in which the personification of death actually takes us by surprise by the rather mundane and normal way in which Dickinson imagines death. In this famous poem, death is personified as a kindly driver of a carriage, and the experience of dying is compared to an unexpected trip in this carriage. What is surprising about this is that we normally imagine death to be a frightening, scary experience, and personifications of death as a skull swathed in black carrying a scythe reflect this. Presenting the experience of dying as being like a leisurely ride in a carriage challenges our thoughts and ideas about death. Note in particular the last stanza and how the speaker realises that this ride is taking her towards death:

Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses' Heads

Were toward Eternity--

The irony in this passage is that the speaker only now realises that her life has been a journey towards death, and that this realisation has taken her by surprise. Death in this poem then is not presented as something that the speaker is terrified about. Instead, it is presented as an everyday happening and one that is an extrinsic part of life rather than being something so out of the ordinary that it terrifies us.

What is the role of immortality in this poem?

In Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death", immortality plays an important role.

Death is personified in the poem. What this means is that Death is given characteristics, or abilities, which are typically possessed by humans alone. When something is personified, it is non-human or non-living. The object is given characteristics typical to those which only mankind can possess.

That being said, the role of immortality, personified as well, must "go along" for the ride" given women of the time were not allowed to be with a "man" alone if not married to him.

Therefore, the role of immortality is one of a chaperon. There is a deeper meaning to this though. Death must always be partnered with Death given that Death is the one who determines immortality. One can only remain immortal if Death refuses to take them.

What are the connotations in this poem?

To fully answer this question, one must understand what the term connotation means. A connotation is when a second meaning of a word is used in combination with the explicit meaning.

As for the connotations in Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for death", there are a few that can be justified.

1.  The personification of Death (as notated by the capitalization of the "D" to give Death and proper name) depicts death as both an abstract idea and a concrete one. Abstractly, death is something that happens to someone; it is used as a primary understanding in this sense.

As for the secondary (underlying) meaning, Death can be understood as a person who can travel with us. "He" can, in a sense, befriend us so that lose our fear of him.

2. The setting sun in the poem also has two very distinctive meanings. First, the image of the actual setting sun brings to mind the close of a day.

The secondary meaning, when used in context of the poem, defines the end of life. As the sun sets darkness sets over everything. Here, the darkness which comes with the setting sun represents the coming of death- when darkness comes for good.

3. One final connotation Dickinson sets up is the imagery depicted in the fourth stanza.

We paused before a house that seemedA swelling of the ground;

Here the speaker states that they pass a house. As readers, one can clearly understand the meaning of a house- a place where people live. The connotation exists in the second line: "a swelling of the ground." Instead of picturing a home (built of brick or wood) one can see that the speaker is looking at a grave.

A grave represents the eternal home one goes to after death.

In Because I could not stop for Death, give the meanings ofGossamer,Tippet and Tulle.

(Meanings=connotation and denotation)

These questions are from the extract:

Or rather-He passed Us-

The dews quivering and chill-

For only gossamer, my gown-

My tippet-only tulle-

These lines are, of course, from Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death," a beautiful and interesting poem because of its ironic playfulness and blithe tone for such a moribund subject. The irony of the poem comes from the fact that the speaker, who is now dead, was unprepared for death, a process in which she unknowingly had long been involved as the gentlemanly carriage driver demonstrated by taking her past the schoolhouse where children played and the fields of mature grain gazed back at her, indicating that she had already passed childhood and maturity. 

Then, when the deceased speaker reminisces how Death stopped for her, the unsuspecting speaker wore only  a "gossamer" gown of shimmery silk, which connotes her personal fragility and unpreparedness for death. Her "tippet," a shawl usually made of fur, is only of "tulle," or a delicately netted silk, indicating again her lack of preparation for death as well as her delicate condition of age.  In addition, to this meaning for tippet,

a tippet is also the ceremonial scarf worn by Anglican priests; so, there is the connotation, or suggestion, of spirituality involved in the fourth stanza, as well, which leads the reader to understand that the extended metaphor of the carriage ride is the continuous journey of life which inevitably leads to death, but it is a death which also leads to immortality. 

What are all the poetic techniques/devices used in the poem "Because I could not stop for death" by Emily Dickinson?

There are many poetic devices used in Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death."

First, personification is used. Personification is the giving of non-human/non-living things human characteristics and qualities.In the first line, 'Death' is capitalized. what this means is Dickinson is giving Death a proper name-like a human.The same goes for 'Immortality' at the end of the stanza. Not only is Death named, he/she is given the ability to kindly stop for the speaker. Death cannot be, literally, kind or make the choice to stop for anyone. This is another example of personification.

Alliteration is also used in the poem. Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound within a single line of poetry. This happens in the second, third, fourth, and sixth stanza. The use of the combined words in the lines holding the following pairings denote alliteration: labor/leisure, recess/ring, gazing/grain, setting/sun, gossamer/gown, tippet/tulle, and horses'/ heads.

How has 'Death' been portrayed in "Because I could not stop for death - Emily Dickinson" and "Our Casuarina Tree - Toru Dutt"?

In "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" the poet has died.  Death is personified as a gentleman who picks her up in a carraige and carries her to her grave.  All of her work and play have been put aside to attend to him. They pass by children and grain, still very much a part of life and arrive at a "house", or her grave, "the cornice but a mound"

In "Our Casuarina Tree', the poet is still very much alive.  Her siblings have died.  The tree brings back memories of wonderful times she has had with her siblings who she "loved with love intense".  Death is seen as an intense emotion of sorrow for the loss of another that can be overcome with memories.  She never wants these memories to die, so she wants the tree to continue on into Obliviion.

Please give a summary of "Because I could not stop for Death."

This poem is based around a central metaphor which attempts to domesticate or make less frightening the central human experience of death. In this poem therefore it is important to realise that death is compared to an unexpected ride in a carriage. The first stanza opens with death stopping "kindly" for the speaker and how the carriage drove "slowly" as death "knew no haste." The speaker comments that she was patient as well, as she had "put away" her leisure and her work for death's pleasure. The journey of the carriage is mentioned, as they pass the school, then fields and the setting sun. Finally, the poem ends with the recognition of the speaker that the carriage had been heading "toward Eternity" all the time, which she hadn't realised. Clearly the irony of the last stanza concerns the way in which that life is actually a journey towards death, and the speaker appears to be unprepared for this central fact:

Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses' heads

Were towards Eternity--

This poem then is rightfully famous for the novel way in which it presents death. Death in this poem is not something to be feared, but an inevitable occurrence that we must accept and acknowledge.

How can we relate "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" to Dickinson's life?

Modern readers are apt to comment upon the frequency with which Dickinson returns to this subject of death, but really, so was everyone else in her culture.  For artists of her time, this preoccupation reflected a pervasive real-world concern.   In the mid-nineteenth century death rates were high--so high that parents often gave several of their children the same name since few would survive into adulthood.  She never lets us forget that in some respects life gave her short measure; and "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" is and effort to cope with her sense of privation.

Equally, traces of Puritanism tinctured the religious discourse of Dickinson's young womanhood and members of the Amherst congregation were regularly exhorted with the blood-stirring urgency of to reflect on the imminence of their own demise.  The religious thought and language was important to her poetry because it comprised the semiotic system that her society employed to discuss the mysteries of life and death. 

The poem, then, is the apotheosis of that distinctive Dickinson voice, "the speaking dead" offers an astonishing combination:  this conventional promise of Christianity suffused with the tonalities of Gothic tradition. 

Yet, the ultimate implication of this work turns precisely upon Dickinson's capacity to explode the finite boundaries that generally define our existence--immortality.  As Dickinson discusses, true immorality comes from the work of art itself.

Dickinson herself said (in a conversation with Thomas Wentworth Higginson in 1870)

How do people live without any thoughts. How do they live.

Dickinson was, for all practical purposes, a recluse who rarely left her Amherst, MA home in 55-years.  She spent time alone and rarely attended church (which would have played a prominent role in shaping the lives of 19th century Americans).

In this poem, Dickinson heavily sources a metaphysical style, commonly used by 17th century poets.  The tendency of metaphysical poetry is a psychogical analysis of the emotions of love and religion, carrying their penchant to shock and awe to an extreme.  

It is easy for us in our day and age to dismiss Dickinson's apparent obsession with death as being some kind of display of Emmeline Grangerford's mawkishness, however, reading Dickinson and exploring this central theme of her work involves an understanding of her context and in particular the way in which death was a much more intrusive presence during the life and times of Dickinson that it is for us now thanks to medical advances. Let us just remember that thanks to illnesses such as TB or consumption, people died a lot younger and children in particular had a low mortality rate compared to today. Death was an important reality and it was normal for every family to have experienced the death of at least one child, as you were lucky to make it past the age of five. Life was much more uncertain then than it is for us today, and anybody could die very rapidly from a sudden disease.

What Dickinson does in this poem and in others which focus on the topic of death is that she tries to define and explore this ultimate experience, domesticating death and, by so doing, making it an understandable phenomenon.

Discuss how Emily Dickinson makes universal comments from her own reflections and experiences in, "Because I Could Not Stop For Death."

Emily Dickinson was a young woman of limited experience, but not reflection. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, except for a year at school and a seven-month stay in Boston, Dickinson did not leave the area in which she lived. However, she was a great reader, also:

maintaining lively correspondences with friends and relatives.

Along with a wondrous imagination, she wrote relevant and realistic poetry.

It is paradoxical that a woman who led such a circumscribed and apparently uneventful life managed to acquire the rich perceptions that enabled her to write 1,775 poems unlike any others in the English language.

Emily's father was a successful lawyer. Though neither of Emily's parents were emotionally demonstrative, family life with her siblings and a father was often away, provided her with inspiration to write about feelings and relationships.

Emily was educated at Amherst; she also lived for a time at a house where "Emily’s window overlook[ed] the West Street Cemetery where daily burials occurred.

Emily and her sister nursed her mother through an illness that began in the early 1860s, until her mother's death in 1882. Her father died suddenly in 1874. Death is a common topic in her poems.

Emily was also very intelligent, obviously enough to project herself into situations where she had never been, as with the poem, "Because I could not stop for Death." It would seem that through observation and reflection, Emily was well aware that death did not ever "take a holiday." It appeared whether one was prepared or not.

The poet personifies death: Dickinson gives it human characteristics, and the word is capitalized as a name would be, or to stress its importance (or even its eventuality). The busy life the speaker has led has not provided time for him/her to slow down for Death, but Death "kindly" stops for the speaker. Dickinson presents her sense of common day manners and etiquette in the way she speaks of Death's behavior, as if he is doing the speaker a favor.

One source mentions that in the poem, as a woman, the speaker could not travel alone with Death—which would have been inappropriate by standards of the day—but is "chaperoned" by "Immortality."

It is probably also within the realm of her experience to have gone many times on a casual ride in a carriage. Once again, the scene is likened to a relaxing jaunt through the countryside. There is no concern or fear: she respectfully puts away her "labor, and my leisure, too" for the benefit of Death. They are both being very polite as two individuals would be, even if they were not overly familiar with one another.

On countless days carriages passed children at school, whether the youngsters worked or played. Perhaps when she was young, she was one of those children. And while a wagon carrying a casket might be seen from the building, it would not given many pause as children are quickly distracted and move on with their play.

The rest of the poem comes from observance and imagination: passing grain fields, the setting sun (end of day/end of life). And then they arrive at her "resting place." It is not much more than a swelling in the ground; perhaps Dickinson walked through a local cemetery at times, wondering about the names on the stones.

The length of her rest has passed quickly, as did the day on which she realized her life in this world was over.Her topic is universal—death is! Dickinson merely personalizes it using her imagination and perhaps not-so-limited insights.

Emily Dickinson compared to Robert Frost

I would like to compare Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death" with Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a snowy night."  I need to compare ONE aspect of their styles or themes.  Not looking for anyone to write a paper for me, I just need a starting point please.  Thank you.

Comparing "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening"  by Robert Frost, and "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson, have some similarities and differences in terms of style.

Both poems are written in four-line stanzas. The meter of both poems is rhythmic and lilting. Each poem seem to follow a contrived pattern of beats (but the patterns are different).

The last way in which the poems are the same is that each author uses personification.

Frost personifies the horse—

My little horse must think it queerTo stop without a farmhouse near

and Dickinson personifies Death—

Because I could not stop for Death,He kindly stopped for me;

However, the poems are dissimilar in several ways.

Frost's poem has a clear rhyme scheme of AABA.

Dickinson's poem does not have clear rhyme at all. Some lines might have end rhyme following an ABCB pattern, but there is only one instance of true rhyme ("ground" / "mound"), and perhaps near rhyme for most of the remaining stanzas (though it is a far stretch, I think, with "ring" and "sun").

The meter in Frost's poem is distinct, with four stressed beats per line. Dickinson's poem is different than Frost's. The pattern she creates for the most part is comprised of alternating lines of four beats, then three beats, returning to four beats again.

How do I write an annotated bibliography for my paper?

An bibliography is a list of sources used or consulted when writing an essay or research paper on a particular topic.  An annotated bibliography simply means each source also contains a brief summary and evaluation of the source.As you research your topic (Emily Dickinson and "I Could Not Stop for Death"), create a list of sources you believe you will actually cite in your paper.  It is easiest to go ahead and create the source citing in whatever format your teacher requires (usually MLA or APA format) for the paper.  When you actually begin to compile notes and ideas for the paper from these sources, jot down in 2-3 sentences that briefly describe what the source was about.  Then, you in a couple more sentences, you can describe how you used it, how it compared to other sources, and overall, how helpful it was.  I usually encourage students to keep an objective voice in the annotated bibliography.  This means keeping the source as the subject of the annotation, rather than writing about yourself as the author of the paper.  A quick example is to to say: "This source was helpful in..." rather than, "I used this source to..."

In "Because I could not stop for death," is Dickinson arguing that death is a part of the endless cycle of nature?

One should not fear the death since it is the integral part of the endless cycle of nature.

How is the above statement brought in the poem Because i could not stop for death.

The poem "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson has a tremendously ironic effect as there is a blithe tone to the poem that is at odds with the theme of death.  In Dickinson's poem, dying is compared to an unexpected carriage ride with a very gentlemanly driver, who "kindly" stops for the speaker because she is too busy with life.  But, the ride in the horse-drawn carriage is not to the end; instead the speaker is accompanied by "Immortality."

That death is part of the endless cycle of nature is evinced in the passage of the carriage past children playing in the schoolyard, the fields of productive grain, and then the setting sun.  These metaphors represent youth, productive adulthood, and old age respectively. Even the tomb is part of nature as it appears to be "A Swelling of the Ground."  And, the speaker has, indeed, achieved immortality as she yet addresses the reader from her grave,

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet eachFeels shorter than the dayI first surmised the horses' headsWere toward eternity

Clearly, Dickinson's metaphor of death as a carriage-ride imaginatively captures the powerful and inevitable experience of all humanity with a playfulness and light tone that belies any unnatural feeling.

What does Emily Dickinson convey in the poem "Because I could not Stop For Death"?

Through this excellent personifiation of Death as a kindly old man driving a carriage, Dickinson seems to present a rather ironic and different impression of death than we usually associate with this figure. Through this personification, Dickinson seems to challenge our own views about death and make us think very carefully about our own lives and expectations of death. Ironically, the speaker of this poem is so busy that they haven't thought about death or prepared themselves for it in any way:

Because I could not stop for Death--

He kindly stopped for me--

Note the irony in the word "kindly." The speaker is so busy that Death has had to stop life for her. This is an impression that is continued throughout the poem, especially in the final stanza:

Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses' heads

Were towards Eternity--

The speaker shows that she is surprised to learn that life is actually a journey towards death and that she seems unprepared for it. The way that our lives are described as being a long ride "towards Eternity" to my mind communicates the challenge of this poem. Dickinson cuts through the business of our lives and the way that we often try to ignore our final fate by telling us that no matter how busy we are, we can't outlive death. We need to accept that our lives are one long journey towards "Eternity," and live our lives accordingly in response.

What does Emily Dickinson convey in the poem "Because I could not Stop For Death"?

Through this excellent personifiation of Death as a kindly old man driving a carriage, Dickinson seems to present a rather ironic and different impression of death than we usually associate with this figure. Through this personification, Dickinson seems to challenge our own views about death and make us think very carefully about our own lives and expectations of death. Ironically, the speaker of this poem is so busy that they haven't thought about death or prepared themselves for it in any way:

Because I could not stop for Death--

He kindly stopped for me--

Note the irony in the word "kindly." The speaker is so busy that Death has had to stop life for her. This is an impression that is continued throughout the poem, especially in the final stanza:

Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses' heads

Were towards Eternity--

The speaker shows that she is surprised to learn that life is actually a journey towards death and that she seems unprepared for it. The way that our lives are described as being a long ride "towards Eternity" to my mind communicates the challenge of this poem. Dickinson cuts through the business of our lives and the way that we often try to ignore our final fate by telling us that no matter how busy we are, we can't outlive death. We need to accept that our lives are one long journey towards "Eternity," and live our lives accordingly in response.

Compare and contrast the poems "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."

These are two very good poems to compare and constrast. If I were you, I would approach this question by thinking about what these poems say about death and how death is presented in both. This is the thematic link, if you like, that you can use to compare and contrast them.

"Because I could not stop for Death" features the character of Death personified as a carriage driver who kindly stops to pick up the speaker. As the journey progresses, the passenger feels steadily colder, until finally the carriage pauses at her graveside and the passenger realises that the carriage ride has been going "toward Eternity." There is intense irony in Dickinson's presentation of death and the process of dying, focusing on the gradual comprehension of the speaker and what is happening to her and the presentation of Death, normally so fearsome and scary, as a polite carriage driver. Note how the last stanza couples two differing tones regarding death and the speaker's acceptance of it:

Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses' Heads

Were toward Eternity--

On the one hand, there is the tone of terror in that one day of the speaker's understanding seeems to last longer than centuries. However, there is also a tone of calm acceptance, as we are told that the centuries have passed quickly. Thus Dickinson in her poem presents death in a way that demythologises the frightening figure we normally associate with death and explores how sometimes death and our understanding of it can creep up upon us unawares.

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," in contrast, is all about the desire for the rest and lack of responsibilities that death brings with it. It is important to realise the symbolic significance of the woods in this poem, as featured in the last stanza:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

The speaker desires to stay in the woods, that are described as tempting and almost seductive. However, he still has responsibilities at this stage of life, featured in the "promises" he has to "keep," and note how the repetition of the last line reinforces the way that his life is not over yet whilst at the same time presenting death as a "sleep," as an attractive stage of life that is to be yearned for as a time when there are no more "promises to keep" and the body can find rest in a beautiful place.

Thus what unites these poems is their novel presentation of death, not as something to be feared, but as something that is to be yearned for on the one hand, and something that we are surprised by on the other.

I need help developing a statement for the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" by Emily Dickinson.

I assume you are referring to a thesis statement. One of the aspects that critics praise this poem for is the way that Dickinson in this excellent poem manages to tame or domesticate one of the most powerful and unavoidable of human experiences through the use of a metaphor. In this poem, Death is compared to an unexpected ride in a horse-drawn carriage that takes the speaker ever-onward into "Eternity." This should provide ample scope for a thesis statement discussing the presentation of death and how he is transformed from a scary figure into a kind, polite and unhurried gentleman, "kindly" stopping, not knowing any "haste."

Therefore a good thesis statement you might want to use could be:

Through the use of metaphor Dickinson domesticates death.

Consider how death is presented and how the speaker responds to Death in this poem. Good luck!

Is there anything ironic in saying that he kindly stopped for her? Explain.

I would say there is some irony in Death's "kindly" stopping, but the irony depends on one's perspective on death.  Remember that irony is simply a juxtaposition of incongruous elements, putting two things together that do not belong together. In this poem, if the narrator does not want to die, then she cannot possible perceive Death to be kind as he stops for her.  And there is certainly language to suggest that, since she says she "cannot stop for Death."  Additionally, most of us, if we think of Death as a person, seldom think of him as a kind, courtly gentleman who will stop on the road to pick someone up as a favor.  Having said that, I must also add that in some situations, we do see death as a kindness.  When someone is suffering a great deal or is old and very tired, death can be a great kindness.  So, you can see that the irony is a function of the perception of Death, an unkindness or a kindness. 

As mentioned in the above post, there is certainly at least a shade of irony in Dickinson's use of the word "kindly" in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death."  The definition of irony, of course, is a contrast between two things; here the description of Death as a gentleman is a contrast to the stereotypical picture of Death as some kind of thief or villain. In any case, we don't generally expect Death to be kind.

On the other hand, "kindly" literally describes Death's actions in this poem.  He drove the speaker of the poem slowly on this final journey. She is treated without "haste" and "with civility." Death takes her to her final resting place, and there is clearly no traumatic leave-taking involved.  In fact, she says centuries have passed yet it feels like virtually no time at all has gone by.

Death was a gentleman who escorted her by carriage on the final journey of her life, and there is nothing negative about the experience. That means "kindly" can be taken literally as well as ironically.

In the poem "Because I could not stop for death," to what is death being compared to in line one?

Unfortunately, enotes regulations only permits you one question - you asked several in your question, and so I have had to edit it down. This excellent poem personifies death in quite a startling way in the first stanza. Note how Dickinson describes him:

Because I could not stop for Death -

He kindly stopped for me -

The Carriage held but just Ourselves -

And Immortality.

Death is therefore throughout this poem personified as a kind, elderly man in a carriage, who stops for his passengers, picking up when there time comes and taking them on into the next stage of life. Death is normally personified as something terrifying, scary or horrible, and so personifying him in this way immediately makes us think about what Dickinson is trying to say about death and her attitude towards it in this poem.

Where is the speaker in relation to death in "Because I could not stop for Death"?

Your original question asked two questions, so I have had to edit it down to one. In this poem it is important to realise that Death is personified as a carriage driver who politely stops to collect the speaker. It is interesting to see how Dickinson uses this metaphor to "tame" or "domesticate" the most awesome and inevitable of human experiences - death. The literal elements of this metaphor are simple: dying is compared to an unexpected ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

Therefore, the speaker spends most of her time sat next to Death in this carriage. Note how the first stanza describes it:

The Carriage held but just Ourselves -

And Immortality.

This is part of the unforgettable nature of this poem - it makes us see death as nothing terrifying, but just a normal carriage ride with a polite gentleman who kindly picks us up at the right time.

Please write an interpretation of the poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death."

Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" is an exploration of the realization that the coming of death is a prolonged but continuous process that usually passes unheeded, since Death is from the outset a gentlemanly caller. Dickinson also suggests that Death is not without compensation because he travels in company with Immortality, a goal sought by most as being of great value.

During the course of the poem, Dickinson takes the reader on an excursion past monuments of living and life's cycle: the children at recess; "gazing grain," with full grown mature heads of grain so as to be "gazing"; the setting sun which passes the poetic speaker and Death in the carriage. The title implies the inevitability of the journey described in the poem: Even if life's labors and leisures are so appealing that you cannot

stop for Death, whether in youth, the prime of life (as the poetic speaker is, fully engaged and lightly dressed as she is), or old age, Death, always the courteous gentleman, will stop for you.

While Dickinson takes the reader on this journey, she also takes them on a correlated journey, one that progresses through life. Labors and leisures indicate the adult life while the gossamer gown and tulle tippet (shoulder shawl) indicate the advancing frailty of the flesh. Children of course indicate youth and the grain can be seen to indicate the progress of growing and maturing in life. The sun of day, living and life-force passes by the rider and the reader bringing chill dews of evening and the failing of the powers of life, making the gossamer (thin shimmery silk) gown and the tulle (delicately netted silk) tippet inadequate to the further task at hand.

The final destination is a burial mound, "The Cornice--in the Ground--". The poetic speaker now reveals herself to be speaking from eternity, the friend of Immortality, having been gone for "Centuries," and now sharing a flashback reminiscence of the day she first "surmised the Horse's Heads / Were toward Eternity," in other words, the day on which she realized her immediate (or eventual) journey was toward death.

Well, your teacher asked you to write your interpretation of Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop for Death."  That means none of us here can or should do that for you.  What I can do is point out several features of the poem so you can determine what you think about it and can write your analysis.

Dickinson is using the literary technique of personification--giving human characteristics to things or people which normally don't have those human characteristics.  (For example, if we say the clouds cried, we'd be saying it rained, even though clouds can't really cry.)  Think of Death here as a person, in this case a gentleman who has come to call on the speaker of this poem.  He has come to take her away in his fine carriage.  If you understand that, you'll be able to tell, I think, where they go next.  Look at the stops they make and think about life as seasons and harvest (for example, the fall and harvest are times of reaping after a productive life).  Their final stop is also symbolic.  He takes her to her new home underground:

We paused before a house that seemedA swelling of the ground; 

I'm confident you'll see these things and more as you approach the work from this perspective and perhaps have a better sense of what you're looking for. I've also included a helpful link from e-notes, below.   

Why did Emily Dickinson write the poem "Because I could not stop for death"? Did this happen in any part of her life?

One of the frequent charges made against Emily Dickinson is that she was obsessed with death, mortality and dying. This poem is of course one of her poems that fits into these categories, as it personifies Death as a gentleman caller, who takes the speaker on a ride in his carriage. This is a highly imaginative presentation of Death as a non-threatening individual - a proper gentleman caller, who, of course, has a chaperone in the person of Immortality. the speaker in the poem describes what she sees out of the window, and then describes how she begins to feel cold. The house to which death brings her, like a bridegroom conducing his bride to a new home, is a fresh grave. Here, however, they only pause; their ultimate destination lies further on. Moving to the present tense the speaker then reflects back on the moment she first realised she was moving toward "Eternity".

Although such poems initially appear morbid to the present day reader, we need to understand them within the context of the time. There was the constant threat of tuberculosis; what we might consider common unimportant illnesses today, such as pneumonia, then often led to death; even pregnancy and childbirth were far more dangerous than they are now. For Dickinson, as for us all, Death is the one completely unknowable experience, and thus she devoted much of her poetry and time to imagining his many faces. Thus the key thing for you to think about is how Death is presented in this poem and in others.

In the poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death"by Emily Dickinson, what words have a connotative meaning?

In the second line, the word, "kindly", has a positive connotation giving the impression that the poem is not going to look at death in a negative manner.  In the next four-line stanza, the words, "slowly", "no haste", "labor", "leisure", and "civility" all carry meaning.  The implication is that the narrator is in a peaceful existence where time is not measured.  The third stanza displays images more than single connotative words.  The image of children playing innocently, free of worry comprises the first two lines and the image of ripening fields being seen in the setting sun are the last two lines.  These are a contrast - the children playing gives the impression of happy, carefree life while the the other image gives the impression of a life that has been lived and is now at the end (setting sun).  The fourth stanza is a metaphor for a new grave.  The reader can infer that the grave is the narrator's and that the previous stanzas were the narrator's progression to that grave.  The last stanza indicates that much time has passed since the narrator died, but that time has little meaning now.  Throughout the poem, the impression is one of peacefulness and timelessness.  The title makes the implication that the narrator was busy in life and that death came unexpectedly, but the rest of the poem says that once dead, the narrator realizes that there was a great deal of life going on that she had not noticed while alive and now, she has eternity to realize that.

What is the connection between "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and the life of Emily Dickinson?

Particularly the part of her life that Emily Dickinson used as a basis of the poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death."

It is well known that Emily Dickinson lived the reclusive life of a spinster.  Aside from the fact that she never married, she was said to have been socially quiet, shy, close to her family, and religious (though not devoutly Calvanist, despite pressure to be so).  She was not unfamiliar with death, as she experienced the death of 33 of her friends and acquaintences within a three year time frame.  She herself suffered from poor health and died at the age of 55.

The overriding theme of this poem is the gracious acceptance of death.  Death is personified as a lover or gentleman caller, coming to pick up the narrator in a carriage.  Immortality is also inside.  Perhaps this is ironic given that the author likely never entertained any gentleman callers or perhaps it shows a deeper longing inside Dickinson's heart.  It cannot be ignored however, that the poem displays a certain air of acceptance and respect for fate.  It points to her experience with death, her lack of fear of it, and her faith in an afterlife.

It is possible too that this poem shows the author's sense of ambition.  "Because I could not stop for death," suggests that the narrator's life was busy.  Too busy to date.  Too busy to die.  Perhaps Emily Dickinson did not wish to be classified as a social misfit or a sickly woman who was simply waiting to die.  Perhaps she wanted to portray both of these attitudes as a way to highlight her literary work over anything else about her.

Please explain the symbolism and figures of speech used in the poem "because i could not stop for death."

The most overwhelming example of figurative language is the depiction of death.  As opposed to the traditional conceptions of the grim reaper and a type of foreboding presence that is meant to terrify, Dickinson categorizes death as a traveling companion whose presence is warm and comforting.  It's a unique and distinctive personification, but it is carried throughout the poem.  We can see this in the second line with the idea of "kindly" as referencing death and line 8, noting his "civility."  The imagery presented is the narrative of one's life, and different moments from it such as schoolyards and cemeteries.  The primary descriptive element features a symbolic representation of death as something that takes the speaker, presumably Dickinson, to a natural end, in a progressive type of fashion.  Death is depicted as a part of life, symbolic of the end of all human beings, and not something towards which one can possess overwhelming fear.

What is the house that is nearly buried?

In her poem, "Because I could not stop for Death," Emily Dickinson uses the metaphor of a house for the grave:

We paused before a House that seemed

A Swelling of the Ground--

The Roof was scarcely visible--

The Cornice--in the Ground--

This poem about death captures the most awesome and inevitable of human experiences, death, with a playfulness and wit, rather than with morbidity.  Dying is compared in an extended metaphor to an unexpected ride in a horse-drawn carriage.  The unusual way in which Dickinson uses time as well as the blithe tone--

he kindly stopped for me....

He knew no haste

And I had put away

My labor and my leisure too 

For His Civility

--that is much at odds with the subject of the narrative of the poem makes this a unique verse. 

Time is suspended as it often seems to be in deeply personal experiences of people.  For instance, Dickinson explains that she and the driver went slowly, passing fields, or the sun passes them.  Then, centuries pass, and finally, they reach Eternity. 

Also present in Dickinson's poem is an irony as the deadly final "ride" is compared to a leisurely and civil one, the grave a house complete with cornices.

What are the similarities between Mary Oliver's "When Death Comes" and Emily Dickinson's "because I could not stop for death"?

In both "When Death Comes" and "I could not stop for death," the main similarity is that both speakers discuss death. However, their attitudes toward death are very different. In Oliver's poem, the speaker tells us that when death comes, she "want[s] to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering: what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?" She is able to do this because she has lived her life to the fullest, as illustrated here:

When it's over, I want to say: all my lifeI was a bride married to amazement.I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

Emily Dickinson's poem shows a speaker who has been collected by death in a carriage. She is being taken to her grave, past "the School, where Children strove/ At Recess-in the Ring-/ We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain-." These are pleasant things, but we don't get the feeling that the speaker wants to live at or near these places. Rather, she arrives at her destination almost in anticipation of her own burial:

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-

Dickinson's speaker anticipates death, with a seeming ambivalence toward her life. Oliver's speaker is also ready for death if it comes, but isn't quite ready for the afterlife.

Desperately need any help in poetry

It haas been said that poetry is a comparison of powerful emotions for designated amount of time.  Use the following two poems to illustrate or demonstrate this concept: "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening".

Where I think that further detail is needed is in the notion of "designated amount of time."  Exactly to what is this referring? I think that there is a sense of ambiguity here where more discussion and clarification is needed.  I would suggest that the powerful emotions element is present in each poem because both are dealing with personal reflections and experiences about being mortal.  It has been said that Frost's poem deals with the issue of mortality and its limitations.  The idea of "miles to go before I sleep" indicate that there is a sense of the incomplete within the mortal framework and how individuals deal with such a reality is part of what makes consciousness so very painful and challenging.  Dickinson's poem deals with the issue of death being a constant companion and how one can appreciate and fully grasp what "death" means in terms of living with its reality when such a time has come.

In “Because I Could not Stop for Death,” what attributes does Dickinson grant to death?

Why is immortality going along for the ride?

In this poem, Death is portrayed as a lover.  Death is a man who is really quite nice.  He is very kind and civil to the speaker in the poem.  So Death does not seem to be portrayed as a very scary thing.

Immortality is along for the ride partly because in those days any woman going riding with a man would need to have a chaperone along to keep things decent.  Immortality in particular is chosen for this role because Dickinson sees these two things as going together.  In dying we are born to eternal life, she seems to be saying.

Dickenson personifies death when she speaks of him as a person doing tasks in the poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death."  Death is quite chivalrous towards the lady a he opens he door for her and waits for her to come.

Death is very civil and goes through the town slowly so that the woman could take in the last sites of her life before she and death ravel on into immortality.  He takes the passenger through phases in her life as they pass the school yard and the fields and see the setting sun which is the setting of her life.

In the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" by Emily Dickinson, the poet suggests several character traits for Death. Although she suggests that he is polite, civil, courteous and 'kind' there is also a darker tone where he is more threatening and intimidating. She suggests that just because she ,like many of us, will never feel ready for death, having much more to achieve before giving up life, death will still come. he is persevering and assertive even if that is in a quiet way. Even though he allows her to see happy images and histories for the last time, he does not stop the carriage which has become like a cortege, but has it drive on relentlessly towards her end. Polite or no, Death ignores her feelings.

Please answer these questions from this poem.

What image of death do you get from it?

in third stanza of the poem, the carriage passes the school, field,of grain, setting sun. what might these object symbolize?

To me, the image that you get of death in this poem is not a scary one.  The speaker is not presenting death as something you need to fear.  Instead, she is saying that death is a pretty pleasant companion with whom to take a journey.

In my opinion, the three things you mention symbolize the speaker's life.  You have these three things in order.  You go from the school (childhood) past the grain (ripe adulthood) and past the setting sun (old age) and finally get to the home where the speaker will spend eternity.

Contrary to what is often published about Emily Dickinson, after having studied her life through her letters and journals in order to play her on stage and after taking graduate seminars in her poems, I have come to the understanding that she is quite often misunderstood. She was definitely a woman ahead of her time both with regard to her feminist leanings as well as her educational level and intellect. That said, while she was occasionally depressed by life and by the fact that her sister Vinnie was the pretty one, and while she decided to leave the church and was labeled as one without hope of salvation by her boarding school marm, she was actually very spiritual, believed in God, and felt that the saddest part about death (particularly after the loss of her father and an unknown man who she loved who is only referred to as master) was felt by those who were left behind. The message of the poem, then, is that death will come for us all, whether we want him to or not. When he comes, he will be civil, a gentleman, and he will take us on one last pleasant journey before taking us to our new home. The key to the hopefulness in the poem lies in the final lines:

 

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet eachFeels shorter than the dayI first surmised the horses' headsWere toward eternity.

Time is said to fly when we are having fun, and it appears that Emily feels that time will pass so quickly for her after death that it will seem shorter than a day when in reality centuries have passed.

As to your question regarding the specific objects, these are things that Emily would have been familiar with. The school represents childhood, the fields of grain the maturing part of the season or middle life, and the setting sun represents the end of the cycle of her life and the promise of a new day tomorrow in the afterlife.

There is much in way of interpretation of these particular images.  One way to read Dickinson's use, as previously suggested, is to transform the image of death to a more approachable version.  The idea of death as a companion that keeps a vigil on us as we progress through the stages of life are brought out in the employment of such mental pictures.  This notion of death is one that is part of an evolution, an advancement.  Death is not one that seeks to take away life, but rather is shown as a force that attempts to make life more meaningful, as its passing is not something to be mourned, but rather a part of a life cycle of which death is a part.

What is the action described in the poem, what sort of person is he?

The primary action is the interaction between an individual and death, as a force.  The development of the poem is an experience in a carriage between the speaker and the force of death.  It goes on to detail what these experiences were, the places seen, and the emotions experienced.  The person in the poem seems to be one that is at peace with this conception of death and the experience shared with death.  The vision of death offered is one that is fairly different from its traditional depiction.  Descriptions such as "kindly" and "civility" bring to light that death is not something to be feared or to be resented, but rather is a part of the life cycle which should be embraced in the mind of the individual.

What is the author's theme and purpose in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death"?

In my opinion, this poem is about the need to live life as fully as you can while you are still alive -- so it is something of a carpe diem poem.  It is saying that life is short and death is forever so live now while you can.

I think you can see this in how the journey that the speaker and Death take (along with Immortality) goes along beside things like schools that represent life.  But then they get to the grave and the speaker realizes that that is where she will live for eternity -- a much longer thing than the short trip they have just made.

I have a slightly different view of Dickinson's purpose and theme in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death." The poetess was certainly not someone who lived life to the fullest, and while that does not always connect to the speaker ofa poem, in this case, I think that Dickinson's view of death is present.  To me, her purpose is to discuss the universality of death and to stress the truth that no one escapes it.  One can run from it or be too busy to think about it, but at some point, death "kindly stop[s]" for us.

Dickinson's whimsical tone suggests a bit of satire but also helps readers view death as just another part of the human journey or experience--similar to children playing or moving to a different home; see Stanza 5 for her description of a grave as a house.

I have a third interpretation of the poem from where I stand. To me, the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" by Emily Dickinson is a lot about control issues. By all accounts, the poet herself was reputed to be more than a little 'buttoned-up' and I think that the somewhat humorous or irreverent tone is selp-deprecatory and self-mocking. It is as if the poet accepts her self-controlling (and even a little repressed) personality, but

knows she will one day have one thing that will control her whether she likes it or not. Death comes to all of us, no matter how much control we think we have mastered over ourselves and life - we must relinquish control voluntarily or it will come for us and take it regardless at the end.

I see you now have many answers, but since I've written it, I'll go ahead and add mine anyway...

The primary theme in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" is death and eternity. A secondary theme is unpreparedness. This poem is a salute to the inexorability of death, to the dogged journey it traverses. There are more than one opinion as to whether Dickinson's poem speaks of Christian consolation or not. Some view it as devoid of religious or any other consolation and see it as an expose, as it were, on the continual presence of the companion Death. Such an understanding would have been unpopular in the end of the nineteenth century even though religious conformity had lost its hold on spiritual thought.

Dickinson illuminates the primary theme of death and eternity, of the inexorability of death, by placing Immortality as a passenger in the carriage and by describing the centuries of Death's journey as "shorter than a day." The theme of unpreparedness is illuminated by, for example, the "Gossamer" gown with "Tulle" "Tippet," which is a fine see-through silken gown with loosely woven silk netting for a shawl.

I would suggest that the theme and purpose is to reconfigure the depiction of death.  The poem presents death as a part of the life process.  The theme might be calling upon individuals to reexamine their traditionally help conceptions of death and bring about the change required in order to fully understand death's role in highlighting life and the part of life that death is.  The closing of the poem seems as if that the speaker has fully understood where life is and where death is in that scope, a voice from beyond, indicating how death is not something to be feared or something where one attempts to repudiate, but rather fully embrace as a constant companion.

How is death personified in "Because I could not stop for Death"?

In this poem, death is not personified as something scary like the usual "grim reaper" view of death.  Instead, death is shown as a very nice companion -- maybe even a suitor of the woman who is speaking.

Death takes the speaker for a nice carriage ride.  He even brings along a chaperone (Immortality).  They do not go to anywhere horrible or scary or supernatural.  Instead, they just pass by regular sights like a schoolyard.  The only thing that is the least bit

chilling is that they end up at her new home (it's a grave, but it's not really shown that way).

So Death is personified in a pretty benign way in this poem.

The first example of personification within the poem is that death stops for the narrator.  This indicates that death has the ability to stop and go and get the person.  Death is kindly, a quality associated with a person.  Death knows no haste, ability to hurry, but death could only know something if he has a brain and can be cognitive of something.  Death and the setting sun are presented as "he" and have the ability to pass by one another. 

Emily Dickinson's whole poem presents death as a person who has come to get the narrator who is too busy getting on with her life to stop living.  Death arrives on its own and picks her up in a carriage but takes he time to take her past things that she enjoys as he takes her to his place.

The vision of death offered in Dickinson's poem is more of a companion than anything else.  It is seen as a force of comfort, of reverie, and of careful companionship.  The construction of death is one where the speaker is able to see examples of life through the company of death.  This is not a menacing force that causes pain and separation.  Rather, it is one where through company, one is able to view life and view the transitory nature of consciousness.  This personification is vastly different than traditional Western visions of death for there is little to either prevent embracing it or to prevent its presence.

What bad qualities that makes you unique and different from others?

 cannot imagine that there are many people in the world who have bad qualities that make them unique.  There are so many people in the world that surely bad qualities are shared by many.

For example, I think I have two major bad qualities.  I do not like to work harder than I have to (I'm lazy) and I do not have the most self-control of anyone in the world (especially when it comes to eating and being lazy).

But when I look at other people, it seems to me that lots of people have these problems.

I can't think what sort of bad qualities could possibly be very unique.

Could anyone please summarise the poem, "Because I could not stop for death" by Emily Dickenson?

In Emily Dickinson's poem, "Because I Could not Stop for Death", the speaker tells us

that she has been preoccupied with her day-today activities. She was therefore too busy to stop for anything, as though the hustle and bustle of life ruled out anything new or different. There is a note of self-directed irony or mockery here. In the last stanza, we discover that the speaker is long dead, and that she is speaking from a perspective that has stretched out over a long period of time. She also has given up her commitment to being busy, for she asserts (line 22) that her life in eternity has seemed very short.  

Death is characterized as gracious, polite, and gentlemanly; the key words in this portrait are "kindly" (line 12 and 13 together indicate movement away from earthly perspective to a more heavenly one. This view is unconventional, for Death in this poem is not accompanied by pain, war, and sickness—Death is not the "grim reaper"—but rather is seen as a quiet, pleasant, and normal force that extends life into another dimension.

The carriage might be considered a hearse, the house a grave or vault. More abstractly, the carriage and the house suggest a movement from earth to heaven, in whatever conveyances take people there. On its journey to the grave, the carriage passes a school, children playing at recess, elds of grain, and the setting sun. That the sun passes Death and the speaker as they are riding in the carriage suggests the ending of the speaker’s time on earth, Lines 2 and "civility" (line 8). This view is unconventional, for Death in this poem is not accompanied by pain, war, and sickness—Death is not the "grim reaper"—but rather is seen as a quiet, pleasant, and normal force that extends life into another dimension.

The carriage might be considered a hearse, the house a grave or vault. More abstractly, the carriage and the house suggest a movement from earth to heaven, in whatever conveyances take people there. On its journey to the grave, the carriage passes a school, children playing at recess, elds of grain, and the setting sun. That the sun passes Death and the speaker as they are riding in the carriage suggests the ending of the speaker’s time on earth. Lines 12 and 13 together indicate movement away from earthly perspective to a more heavenly one.

In the poem 'Because I Could Not Stop For Death' by Emily Dickinson, there is a line'he kindly stopped for me.' The word 'kindly' is tongue-in-cheek here, for most of us do not view death as being very benificent. The word 'kindly' could not be correct anyway - as the poem very neatly puts the point - in that we have no choice about whether to die or not. Every living thing dies at some point, it is the one thing we can still do nothing about despite our super-modern technology. Rather, the word 'kindly' has a role in illustrating for us how Emily Dickinson is viewing him in this particular poem - as a courteous escort who has come to accompany her somewhere (afterlife) and politely presses home his nonetheless unpleasant point by actually coming after her. His point is that it is not possible to be too busy or too important for him and his errand!

In these two poems, Blake's ''London" & Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for death, how do the two poets address death?

William Blake's poem "London" is a very negative and pessimistic view of life and death.  He describes the woes of mankind, and his visits through the streets of London are marked by war, poverty, and emotional suffering.

"Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson paints a very different picture.  She refers to death as being kindly and civil.  She talks about the pleasant things she sees upon her journey to eternity;

We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –  We passed the Setting Sun –

Dickinson's poem is more optimistic and the mood of the poem offers a sense of peace.

In the poem "London" by William Blake, the poet is addressing a different form of death than that explored by Emily Dickenson in "Because I could not stop for Death." The only subject in Blakes poem specifically tagged with Death is marriage, whereas Emily Dickenson is talking about her own death and this is very personal to her. William Blake's reference to marriage/death is "marriage-hearse." It seems as if he is saying that the filthy squalor of crowded London city is death to Love - that nothing can be goood, pure, innocent or happy there. Even a street girl's or mother's voice to a newborn child is deafening and strident, aggressive and shrill. Blake hears this deathly sound in every call, market, announcement - and ban (some readers may pick up wedding ban here.) The poem is a dark, desolate and fatalistic look at what dies in the human soul in impoverished city life.

Blake is dealing with the universal issues of poverty and bondsmanship in his poem. He reveals vignettes of the desparate and bleak society which London had become in his lifetime. He deals with the death of the soul as well as the body: lamenting the moral and spiritual decline caught up in the cycle of greed and poverty which exemplified the city at that time. His clever use of the metaphor of syphilis, the  “youthful Harlot’s curse” perfectly embodies the physical and moral corruption of the society and its infectious, all-pervasive influence.

Death in Dickinson's poem is far more gentle, chivalrous and peaceful. The metaphor here is of a kind gentleman - a profound contras to Blake's use of metaphor. Death here is kindly, though persistent. The implication is that the narrator meets a timely death, unlike the woeful figures in 'London'.

What is the importance of the initial letters for some of the words - like "Gazing Grain" - in the poem 'Because I could not stop for Death?'

The repetition of the initial consonant sound g in gazing and grain is called alliteration. You also see alliteration in line 7 with the l-sound in labor and leisure and line 15 again with the g-sound in gossamerand gown.  Alliteration is a sound device that, often used with assonance (the repetition of vowel sounds in neighboring words), adds flavor to the poem.  Assonance is found in the long-a sound in gazingand grain.Gazing grain is also an example of personification, giving inanimate objects human qualities.  Here, the grain is gazing at the sun and/or the passers-by.  The grain here also parallels the children in two lines above.

The alliteration in this poem helps to accentuate the feeling of the forward motion of natural beings in the poem. It highlights the mode of transport and helps us to feel we are in there too. It is not a modern car, it is not a train carriage - that has a different rhythm. This rhythm has the forward 'pull' of horses hooves, accentuated by the repetition of some intitial sounds such as 'R' - we can imagine ourselves jolting forward as the horses necks pull away:

'where children strove

At Recess-In the Ring'

...the heavy R sound adds to the alliterative and assonance qualities too.

Another example is:

'For only Gossamer-my Gown-'

...which has an additional galloping sound, quickly following by a tripping one

'My Tippet--Only Tulle'

... in which we imagine a lady being pulled along so quickly that she could trip over her dress or uniform - it emphasises the sense of hurry and time and lack of control ('because I could not stop' - too busy?)

In "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" how does the speaker picture death in stanza one? What kind of person is he?

To get a feeling for how Dickinson viewed death, just from stanza one, you have to look really closely at the word choices that she uses.  For example, she states that death "kindly" stopped for her; her use of the word kind indicates that she did not fear death. 

She viewed it in a positive light, as a welcome reprieve, as a kindness to have.  Death was not a tragedy or an awful thing, but rather a kind thing to someone suffering an illness.  Look also at how she capitalizes the name Death; giving death a capital D indicates that she respects death.  Think of the words that we capitalize:  Your Majesty, God, America, etc.  When we capitalize words, it is often a symbol of respect, reverence, and even submission.  This shows that Dickinson had a lot of respect for death and what it could do; she showed reverence for its awesome power; she even submitted to that power.

Death picks her up in a carriage; this again indicates that Dickinson feels death is a kind, polite, and respectful power.  It didn't jerk her away, dragging and pulling; it didn't yank or jostle her; instead, it kindly placed her in a carriage.  A carriage is a courtesy, a pleasant ride through town.  This shows that Dickinson viewed death positively, and as a welcome reprieve and rest.  One last indication of her feelings for death lie in the fact that the only ones in the carriage were her and death--death cared for her personally, and took the time for her alone.  This again shows that he is respectful and kind, not brutal, hurried and impersonal.  It was a personal carriage, a personal trip through the town.  He offers to gently take her away from her cares.

All in all, the first stanza reflects Death as being a kind, merciful, personal, gentle and polite force in one's life.  It is not to be feared, it is not brutal or rough, but a welcome visitor.   I hope that helped; good luck!

What do the horses heads facing in the direction of eternity signify?

Because I could not stop for Death,He kindly stopped for me;The carriage held but just ourselvesAnd Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put awayMy labor, and my leisure too,For his civility.

We passed the school, where children stroveAt recess, in the ring;We passed the fields of gazing grain,We passed the setting sun.

Or rather, he passed us;The dews grew quivering and chill,For only gossamer my gown,My tippet only tulle.

We paused before a house that seemedA swelling of the ground;The roof was scarcely visible,The cornice but a mound.

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet eachFeels shorter than the dayI first surmised the horses' headsWere toward eternity.

Well, what is going on here? Or, maybe it's better to ask what has already happened. The speaker of the poem is already dead. Long dead. Time and space are contracted in this poem. Distorted.

The poem begins with the speaker and death in a carriage seemingly flying along with "immortality." The poem ends again with a reference to the carriage with horses leading it headlong into eternity. That's death. So we have a poem penned by a peson who is long dead. A weird perspective, but that's Emily Dickinson for you.

The horses are pulling the metaphorical carriage of the speaker's soul. With their heads pointed towards eternity, they are headed in the direction of the afterlife. In the last stanza, the speaker explains that it's been hundreds of years since he/she has passed away, yet each century feels shorter than the moment he/she realized mortal life had ended. Time is stretched and manipulated by perception, and for this particular person, the actual moment of death seems longer than the eternity the soul will exist.

Can you state a theme for the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death...?"

Emily Dickinson's well known poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" deals with an idealized vision of Death, who arrives by carriage and takes the narrator on a journey through the stages of life, death and the afterlife. Composed of six quatrains, the pair are first joined on their journey by Immortality. The journey is a slow one, and the narrator witnesses children, growing fields of grain and, finally, sunset. Entering a new world, the narrator faces a new home--symbolically, the grave marker--but the poem concludes with a hopeful belief that the human soul will live on.

Alright!  Great!  Another poem question...I love these!  In order to understand the theme of the poem we have to look at what this point is about.  I am using a particular translation of the poem but it should be fairly similar to yours:

"Because I could not stop for Death,He kindly stopped for me;

The carriage held but just ourselvesAnd Immortality."

Life just sort of keeps going...nobody plans to "stop for death."  This is a bit of dark humor.  Death will come for you when it is your time, ready or not.  Apparently, you get some personal time with Death to boot.

"We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put awayMy labor, and my leisure too,For his civility."

Death feels no need to move quickly once it has you.  In death there is no need for work or fun activities.  Those things are done and in the past.

We passed the school, where children stroveAt recess, in the ring;We passed the fields of gazing grain,We passed the setting sun.

Children are a good symbol for the future, that is, they are young and have a long future ahead of them.  Fields of "gazing grain," perhaps representing middle age, and the sunset, symbolizing the end of one's life.

Or rather, he passed us;The dews grew quivering and chill,For only gossamer my gown,My tippet only tulle.

The sun moves past them.  It's getting chilly.  She is wearing a gown made of cobwebs and a scarf that was made of netting.

We paused before a house that seemedA swelling of the ground;The roof was scarcely visible,The cornice but a mound.

It's not really a house, it's a tomb.  That's why it is so close to the ground. She's headed for the grave.

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet eachFeels shorter than the dayI first surmised the horses' headsWere toward eternity.

Death really isn't so bad, at least it doesn't seem.  Centuries have passed but each feels like less than a day.

The theme seems to be that Death is not something to be feared but is a natural part of life.  The character in the poem does not fight or run from death.  She does not attempt to stop the carriage nor does she react to seeing the schoolchildren.  Her tomb (she must

have known what it was) looked like a home to her.  Death, indeed, treats her very civilly and is not something to be afraid of.

What is the theme of "Because I could not stop for Death"?

One of the strongest themes to arise out of Dickinson's poem is the embrace of the end force that is inevitably felt by all living creatures.  Dickinson creates a portrait of death which is not fearful or brutal, but rather one of calm comfort that is to visit everyone as their inevitable end is marked.  The opening lines confirm this:  "He kindly stopped for me."  The notion of characterizing death as "kindly" and gracious is a powerful reconceptualization as opposed to the standard gloomy notion.  At the same time, the vision offered through the poem is one of reflection and nostalgia, where death and the speaker visit school yards at recess, open fields, and engage in the process of thoughtful rumination on the nature of existence.  This is a vision of death that is not fearful, but rather receptive to what is awaiting all life.  In the process, a theme that arises is that one should not live their life in fear of death, but rather examine a life where there is some notion of happiness when the inevitability of the carriage "kindly" stops for all of us.

What do you think about the view of death presented in "Because I could not stop for Death"?

The view of death as presented in Dickinson's poem is one of reflection and calm.  I think it's very powerful how the poem recasts death not as some dark and brooding figure who stalks prey through fear, but rather receives death in an open and accepting manner.  I think it is a testimony to Dickinson's genius that she can take the element that strikes fear in the heart of most living beings and render a view that is not apprehensive about "the other," but rather seeks to understand and appropriate it into the scope of one's own subjectivity.  The opening lines of the poem which casts death in a "kindly" vein is unique, as it departs from a traditionalist notion of the end of mortality.  Throughout the poem, the idea of death as bringing to life the moments that make one passionate about living are also quite compelling. Descriptions of children playing at recess, fields of grain, as well as the natural beauty of the sunset are not immediate connotations of death, yet Dickinson has been able to create a picture of death as one that appreciates life.  This characterization and presentation of death is very unique in that it compels the reader to reflect on a topic that diverges from standard conception and opens the mind to receive the dawning of a new, yet compelling, image, "excellent and fair."

What does the portrayal of death in the poem say about the speaker's attitude toward the subject?

The speaker's portrayal of death is one of calm waiting, secure in the understanding that there is little escape from its clutches. Dickinson does not portray death in a traditionalist manner where gloom and doom accompany.  Nor does she present a demonic conception of this force.  Rather, there is a quiet sense of calm present in this vision.  In the opening lines, the depiction is actually one of generosity, as death "kindly" stopped for the speaker.  Throughout the poem, death is personified as a force that seeks to illuminate meaning and purpose.  As death accompanies the speaker, it is almost a leisurely pace ("We slowly drove/ He knew no haste") and it renders a vision of beauty and loveliness within the world (Note the descriptions of sun, children playing and open fields in the third stanza).  The speaker's perception towards death is a sense of acceptance and understanding, directly fed through its depiction.  The closing stanza indicates that while the speaker has accepted the presence and force of death many years ago, it does not feel as if so much time has elapsed.  This creates an almost soothing, certainly feeling of acceptance regarding death.

Can I have a detailed explanation of the poem "Because I could not stop for Death"?

There are many ways to read Dickinson's poetry.  If we were to take the most foundational reading (which is really hard with this particular poet), we would focus on how death "stops" for the speaker. Continuing on, the speaker and "death" travel together in this carriage.  The speaker settles in for a ride with the companion that takes them past school yards with children playing, past fields of harvest,  until they stop at what might be considered "a final resting place" with a large porch and barely visible roof.  The last stanza indicates that the speaker was visited by death quite a long time ago, yet it does not seem that long since such a fateful visit.  Dickinson was a poet that often wrote about death.  It captures the notion of death in a unique way.  Notice the opening lines:  "Because I could not stop for death/ He kindly stopped for me."  No one really has "time" for death, as we are constantly busy with our daily activities.  School, job, enotes, etc.:  We constantly occupy ourselves with our own senses of self that preclude us from fully embracing the natural end of all existence that awaits us.  We, ourselves, "could not stop for death. " Yet, this does not prevent it nor deny it.  Rather, it does come for us, and in the process, when we understand that such a visit only holds us "and Immortality," we see the scope of our loves ("at recess, in the ring), our joys ("the fields of grazing grain), and our lives ("the setting sun.") We see everything as we approach our final resting place, which could be however one reads it.  Burial might be represented here, but the idea of some element of finality in this life is embodied by the structure with a roof "barely visible," almost giving the image of ascendancy.  The final stanza represents a voice that speaks of an experience centuries ago that awaits us, right here, right now, in real time. Something of the past speaks to our present and future.  The imagery in the poem is very powerful with the carriage, the descriptions offered in the third and fourth stanza.  The personification of death as a carriage driver is

also fairly compelling.  If you are interested, I think there is an enotes discussion group devoted to this poem.  You might want to read those discussions, as well.

The joy of Emily Dickinson’s poetry is that it is very simple and visual. You can see it in your head.

Imagine a ghostly coach with Death inside stopping by the poet’s house and politely inviting her to get in.

The ghostly coach drives through the village and the poet can see the village school, the fields and the sunset. It is so dreamy that the poet is not sure whether the coach is moving and the world is still, or whether the coach is still and the world is moving past. Even her clothes seem to have dissolved into spider web and netting.

Finally, the coach stops at the cemetery, where each burial mound looks like a little house with the roof just poking above ground.

The surprise is in the last verse where the poet tells us that all this happened hundreds of years ago, even though it only feels like yesterday.

The poem is comforting. Death is polite, there is no sense of fear or hurry, and the grave is homely. The poet is happy to have left behind the hard work and rush of her life, and be living in this pleasant place fondly remembering her past life.

In "Because I could not stop for death" by Emily Dickinson, what does she mean in her description that begins, "We paused before a House"?

Remember that this whole poem is an extended metaphor.  Dickinson uses a ride in a carriage (or a journey) to symbolize death.  However, she does not maintain the dark, gruesome tone associated with most death poems.  Her whimsical attitude toward death enables her to portray her ride past everyday, cheerful aspects of human life.  When she writes,

We paused before a House that seemedA Swelling of the Ground--The Roof was scarcely visible--The Cornice--in the Ground--

her whimsical tone continues.  The "House" that swells in the ground is the mound from a grave; the roof is the headstone, and the description of the cornice being in the ground means that the grave is the actual house of the entombed; so only the roof (tombstone) is visible above the earth.

 

Dickenson is alluding to the narrator's grave -- a "house" that seemed a swelling of the ground.  Since it is a slight swelling, the "roof" is scarcely visible.  A cornice is a molding at the top of a wall; since it would be no higher than the roof it would be in the ground.  Some say the roof is a reference to the top of the coffin, and the cornice the molding around the coffin.

 

There are different interpretations of this great poem. Some say it suggests a peaceful attitude about death, which is described as kindly and civil. Others say it draws a parallel between being tricked by death and being seduced by a gentleman only to find that marriage is an empty “house”.

Analyze "Because I could not stop for Death."  Include paraphrases, connotations, attitude, shifts, and themes.

Emily Dickinson's poem is structured with 6 stanzas of 4 lines each, mostly with an a-b-c-b rhyme.  Stanza 1 suggests the author living life, until death kindly stops his carriage to pick her up--the connotation being that carriage is a hearse, containing the author, death, and immortality.   Stanza 2 suggests a shift in the slow journey from living to dying by driving towards the graveyard (..put away my labor and my leisure..) and an exchange from living company to the dead (..for his (meaning death's) civility.)  Stanza 3 suggests a movement beyond life experiences (children at school, farming) as the journey moves into twilight (setting sun.)  A big shift occurs in the 4th stanza, where death overtakes these living experiences ( he passed us, presumably the author and immortality ) as night descends, with dew forming and cooling, as it would upon a field at sunset.  Another connotation is the dew, or condensation that forms occasionally on the dying as they cool right before the moment of death--this is further implied by the author's description of the garments she wears, gossamer and tulle being something that would not keep a body warm.  The garments also suggest burial attire for a corpse. Stanza 5 brings the journey to an end at a grave, and Stanza 6 concludes with the observation of the timeless state one presumably experiences after death and burial. The horses' heads, pointing downwards towards the grave, lead the author to eternity.