Emily Dickinson

Because I could not stop for Death–

He kindly stopped for me–
The Carriage held but just Ourselves–
And Immortality.

 Dickinson personifies “Death” and uses alliteration of the “c”

She describes this as a pleasant event that takes place in a carriage
 She uses end rhyme in lines 2 and 4 and internal rhyme in line 3
Immortality: (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or
spiritual form for an infinite length of time.
We slowly drove—He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility–

 She walks away from her busy

schedule, such as work and even her
leisure time for death
Civility- politeness, courtesy
Uses alliteration of the letters “h” and “l”
 We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess--in the Ring–
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain–

We passed the Setting Sun–

Dickinson is talking about the different stages of her life or seeing her
own life flash before her eyes
…the children at recess symbolizing the beginning of her life
…the fields of grazing grain symbolize adolescence/adulthood
…the setting sun symbolizes the writer’s final years
The repetition of “we passed” is called anaphora
She also uses alliteration of the letters “s” “r” and “g”
 Or rather--He passed us—
The Dews drew quivering and chill–
For only Gossamer, my Gown–
My Tippet--only Tulle–
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sun is personified as “He”

Describing being inside the ground; being cold
 Also talks about what she is wearing gossamer-
material for a wedding dress, tippet (scarf) & Tulle
(netting)
Slant rhyme “chill/ tulle”
 We paused before a House that
seemed
A Swelling of the Ground–
The Roof was scarcely visible–
The Cornice--in the Ground–
Ground

• The house/swelling of the ground symbolizes her

gravesite
• Cornice: a decorative framework to conceal
curtain fixtures at the top of a window casing
• Alliteration of the letter “s”
 Since then--'tis Centuries—but each
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity--
 Time has passed since her carriage ride with death
Paradox- century (100 yrs) feels shorter than a day
 Ends with her realizing that towards the end of her ride
with death she figured out that this wasn’t temporary
 “Horses Heads were toward eternity” meaning the horses
pulling the carriage were taking her somewhere she couldn’t
return from
realizes she is dead; that this “ride” is for all eternity
 Analysis and Commentary
• Each stanza is a quatrain- four lines
• In each stanza the first line has 8 syllables, the
second has 6 syllables, the third has 8 syllables,
and the fourth has 6 syllables
• The overall theme of the poem seems to be that
death is not to be feared because it is part of the
endless cycle of nature.
• Her tone is optimistic because she sees death as a
friend
 If you need help
understanding
Dickinson’s Poems,
please check out these
sites…
• http://www.poets.org/poets/
poets.cfm?
45442B7C000C07000F
• http://www.bartleby.com/113/