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Emily Dickinson
- Although not published until 1890, Emily Dickinson likely wrote “Because I could not stop for Death” in 1863, in the middle of her most generative period. The poem, which is one of Dickinson’s most famous, centers on a female speaker who recounts her metaphysical journey from life to death.
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- Do not go gentle into that good night. by Dylan Thomas. ‘Do not Go Gentle into that Good Night’ is Dylan Thomas’s most famous work, penned in response to his father’s death.
- Because I could not stop for Death. by Emily Dickinson. ‘Because I could not stop for death,’ Dickinson’s best-known poem, is a depiction of one speaker’s journey into the afterlife with personified “Death” leading the way.
- Crossing the Bar. by Alfred Lord Tennyson. ‘Crossing the Bar’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson presents the journey from life into death as if calmly advancing into a new phase.
- Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep. by Mary Frye. ‘Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep’ by Mary Frye was written out of heartfelt compassion, and it has resonated with millions of people experiencing loss and grief.
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Why did Emily Dickinson write a poem about death?
Although not published until 1890, Emily Dickinson likely wrote “Because I could not stop for Death” in 1863, in the middle of her most generative period. The poem, which is one of Dickinson’s most famous, centers on a female speaker who recounts her metaphysical journey from life to death .
- “Lady Lazarus,” Sylvia Plath. The sounds alone are enough to keep me alive, the language pulling away from meaning like flesh from bone (“Soon, soon the flesh/ The grave cave ate will be/ At home on me // And I a smiling woman.”)
- “The Big Loser,” Max Ritvo. Ritvo is now famous not only for his poetry but for his sweetness in the face of death. This poem is one of many bittersweet lenses on the life he was getting ready to leave.
- “If I should die,” Emily Dickinson. Emily Dickinson wrote about death a lot, and a number of her poems would fit in this category. I chose this one for its cheer, its cuteness as it imagines how nice life will be for everyone else after the speaker’s death—plus, you don’t get too many death poems that end in exclamation marks.
- “The Mower,” Philip Larkin. Here, Larkin takes a small, everyday death and blows it up to the size of the human condition. The last couplet makes me want to cry—but it also makes me want to go out into the world and make friends with it.
- Summary
- Themes
- Structure and Form
- Literary Devices
- Detailed Analysis
- Similar Poetry
‘The last Night that She lived’ by Emily Dickinsonis a poem about the emotions death brings up in those observing. In the first part of this poem, the speaker begins by describing how an unnamed woman’s death allowed everyone to observe her experience simple, mundane things differently. The elements of their life that they would not normally notice...
Throughout this poem, Dickinson engages with the theme of death. While this is not an overly emotional poem, the poet does express a few different perspectivesand emotions that one might encounter when spending time around a dying person. In this case, the speaker experiences jealousy, guilt, and in the end, at least some amount of sadness.
‘The last Night that She lived’ by Emily Dickinson is a seven-stanza poem divided into sets of four lines, known as quatrains. These quatrains follow contain a few examples of rhymebut do not follow an exact pattern. For example, “night” and “different” in stanza one contain a few of the same sounds but do not perfectly rhyme. The poet is known for...
Throughout this poem, the poet makes use of several literary devices. These include but are not limited to: 1. Alliteration: the repetitionof the same consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words. For example, “Dying” and “different” in stanza one. 2. Simile: a comparisonbetween two things that uses “like” or “as.” For example, the poet compa...
Stanza One
In the first stanza of this Dickinson poem, the poet begins by describing a dying woman on the last night of her life. The speaker, an observer who speaks for themself and a group of other people present, describes how it was a night like any other, but the woman’s limited time made it feel different. The fact that she was going to pass away soon made all of their surroundings appear changed. Dickinson uses her characteristic dashes and seemingly random capitalization throughout this poem. Mo...
Stanza Two
In the second stanza, the speaker says what changed about the night because of the woman’s impending death. “We,” the speaker says, those present at the time of her passing, spent the night seeing the “smallest things.” These are the things, the speaker says, that people generally “overlook.” But, now that death was near, they were highlighted like an italicized word is highlighted in a piece of text (an example of a simile). It makes even the shortest phrase stand out among the others. Even...
Stanza Three
In this stanza, the speaker expresses how difficult it was to be present with the dying woman. They all felt a sense of guilt. They were all present, watching her die, knowing they would live to see the next day. The speaker even felt like they were being blamed for the fact that the unnamed dying woman would pass away soon and that everyone else would get to live. Emotions like these would make it challenging to be present, but the group, the speaker, describes remains within the house.
Readers who enjoyed this poem should also consider reading some other Emily Dickinson poems. For example: 1. ‘A Narrow Fellow in the Grass’– a thoughtful nature poem. Dickinson uses a male speaker to describe a boyhood encounter with a snake. 2. ‘The Letter’ – is a sweet love poem. It is told from the perceptive of a love letter. 3. ‘An awful Tempe...
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- October 9, 1995
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"Because I could not stop for Death" is a lyrical poem by Emily Dickinson first published posthumously in Poems: Series 1 in 1890. Dickinson's work was never authorized to be published, so it is unknown whether "Because I could not stop for Death" was completed or "abandoned". [1]
Death, an undeniable part of life's journey, has inspired countless poets to explore its mysteries and contemplate its implications. Throughout history, poets have used their craft to delve into the depths of mortality, offering profound insights and thought-provoking perspectives.
Published in his 1933 collection The Winding Stair and Other Poems, “Death” was written a few years prior by Irish poet W. B. Yeats. This short poem exemplifies some of the tendencies of Yeats’s later writing: pared-down diction, spiritual concerns, and a tone of solemnity.
