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Because I Could Not Stop for Death Summary

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Because I Could Not Stop for Death
English Summary
Author: Emily Dickenson

The piece I chose to analyze was a poem by Emily Dickinson called “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” She was a very famous writer and wrote many pieces concerning the topics of death and immortality. I believe that this poem was about her journey of life and a calm reflection of what death meant to her. For instance in her first stanza she writes “Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; the carriage held but just ourselves and immortality.” I believe that this line states that death is inevitable. By saying that death kindly stopped for her, she refers to death as a patient gentleman waiting to take her further into the future. Also if death is the polite suitor, then immortality or the carriage would be the chaperon.
Another example would come from the line “We slowly drove, he knew no haste, and I had put away my labor, and my leisure too, for his civility.” Meaning that her life is moving at an easy and unhurried pace, as she accepts deaths offer to accompany him. From this stanza I assume that the drive with death symbolizes her leaving life.
In addition to the last line the stanza, “We paused before house that seemed a swelling of the ground; the roof was scarcely visible, the cornice but a mound.” I believe she is referring to her grave as a house, which is another indication of how comfortable she feels about her death. In conclusion I believe that the overall theme for Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” refers to death as a natural part of life; and is her journey through her memories as she comes closer towards her end. This poem takes a very interesting look on the different aspects of life and how it’s perceived. After reading this poem I found a different perspective on how to view life and come to terms with what lies ahead for my future.

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