Emily Dickinson's Because I Could Not Stop Death

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Born on December 10, 1930, in Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily Dickinson is a reclusive poet whose poetry was found by her sister Lavinia Dickinson, according to Biography.com. Dickinson began writing poetry as a teenager some of her best works include "Because I could not stop for death" and "If you were coming in the fall." In 1886 Dickinson died at the age of 55 due to kidney disease. Additionally, Dickinson's life impacts major themes in her poetry, including death, love, and separation. "Because I could Not Stop Death" was written in 1863, it is one of Dickinson's most famous works and is also "considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces of American poetry" as reported by encyclopedi dot com. To begin the greatly written poem, Dickinson …show more content…
This poem explores how the absence of a loved one can take a toll on someone's life. Four of the stanzas begin with "if" this is a word that shows uncertainty. The poem goes back and forth from certainty to uncertainty against each other. Dickinson is sure of her love for him, although she is uncertain about when she will see him again, and how long she will be able to see him. The absence away from her love begins to get longer in each stanza; one stanza goes from fall to an entire year. The length of his absence is unimportant to Dickinson she just wants her love to return. "she brushes off the absence of summer as a housewife would shoo a fly away." In this line, Dickinson is comparing how fast she would make the season go by to how quickly a wife shoos away a …show more content…
Dickinson also makes my comparisons in the fourth stanza. She compares her life to a "ride." Dickinson says "As the ride is the outer skin, which protects the food" meaning her body is the outer shell that "contains a spirit which would continue after death." Other comparisons Dickinson make are to food and taste. Also, in the fourth stanza tension and irony are placed next to each other. Dickinson may do this to keep readers suspicious and curious.
In the final stanza, Dickinson begins a new thought process instead of using "if" she uses "but." The previous stanzas used the word if to discuss possibilities in the future. However, when Dickinson uses, but she is talking in present time she is dealing with her reality in the last stanza which is extremely challenging. To end the poem, Dickinson uses many metaphors. This poem relates to Dickinson's life because she had only a few close friends it is possible one of them left her, and she was waiting for his return.
In conclusion, Emily Dickinson is a reclusive poet born on December 10, 1930, in Amherst, Massachusetts. Two of her best poems are "Because I could not stop for death" and "If you were coming in the fall." Due to kidney disease, Dickinson died at the age of
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