Because I Could Not Stop For Death Poem Analysis

“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily DIckinson is a dark poem cleverly covered in phrases and analogies that make the poem seem happier than its actual form. Although it is a dark poem, it is beautifully written and executed and has a fairly good structure. The story is aforementioned dark, but philosophical, there is a sea of figurative language, and the poem itself executes its dark tones masterfully. This poem is one of many analogies and enigmas, and so much force behind every word. In the first stanza of Because I Could Not Stop For Death, Death is personified as an annoying man persistently asking a woman out on a date which she ignores. After many years, the woman (who is the speaker) finally gives in and goes on a date with

Death is symbolized as a civil but annoying man who is constantly asking to go on a date with the speaker. Once the woman finally gives in, Death takes her into Eternity. Dickinson also added in a fun little alliteration in Stanza 4-- “For only Gossamer, my Gown” which is a literary tongue twister. There are two entries of irony in the poem; one is that Death did not reap the speaker, he just passed her by and left her in Eternity. The other entry of irony is that Death is personified as a kind man, instead of a heartless

I truly do think that Emily Dickinson enveloped everything in a simple synonym for each word, which you wouldn’t expect to be about the speaker’s death. The story itself was entertaining, the figurative language was intricate, and the tones were unexpectedly but perfectly worked into each other. I believe that Dickinson had to spend a long amount of time tying every symbol and synonym together into a story you have to dig deep into to find its actual story. Because I Could Not Stop For Death is an example of what I wish to aspire to if I ever get into poem writing. There are many poems in the world, and this one is a