Because I Could not Stop for Death

 CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF THE POEM

OR

Emily Dickinson conceives death as a journey to eternity. Do you agree?

OR

Emily Dickinson’s views death as a gentle and comfortable companion to man. Do you agree?

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The journey of the poetess in the coach of Death is actually the journey of a funeral procession to the graveyard. Do you agree to this view?

Answer - 

The poem “Because I Could not stop for Death” is one of the representative poems of Dickinson showing her attitude to death. She has presented death as a civil, gentle and suitor. The poem presents the last phase of her mysticism in which death is regarded as herald to immortality.

      The poetess discusses the reality of death in the religious light. Her poetry deals with the theme of morality and immortality. Death was a central problem of her life. She lived at the place which fell on the way to cemetery. She saw death all around herself; in her family; friends and relatives. She was moved by death of babies and women. In this poem she deals death as a gentle friend and soothing companion. Her views on death are quite different from other poets. It is called a mighty leveler by the poetess. It strikes its icy blow on the rich and poor equally. It is thought something horrible and painful. People are afraid of it.

       But the poetess has presented death as a kind and gentle companion. As such it transports man to its final goal in a pleasurable manner. Moreover, the poetess has pointed out that death does not put an end to life. It is the beginning of a new life. It is an essential part of human life on earth. Man performs his journey of life from childhood to old age in the carriage of death. Death is very kind on man. Man forgets death in the pursuits of his daily life. But death does not forget him. It calls on him. According to the poetess death brings with it a wonderful sense of peace and religious serenity. The poetess conceives death not an end to human life but a beginning to immortality. In her view, we must face death with calm and serenity.

        As far as poetic quality is concerned, poem passes through very nicely. In the poem death is personified as person ‘he’ means a person especially who as a lover of her. This is the use of the figure of speech-personification. We also find superficial and inner meaning in the poem. The Simplicity is achieved by clear, cut, short simple sentences.  

       To summing up, this is one of the most fascinating of Emily’s poems on Death in which death is personified and is introduced as a character. In a short, the poem is well-admired poem. The critic Allen Tate says, “One of the greatest in English language it is flawless to the last detail. (422)