Monday, October 28, 2019

Because I could not stop for death...

Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" is a classic example of a poem using personification. It turns death into a person who the narrator of the poem will ultimately spend her life with. Death stops by "kindly" even though the narrator, it seems, is not quite ready to die. However, since death comes nicely and gently, the narrator is kind of relieved. There is lots of marriage imagery in the poem, such as the lines "For only Gossamer, my Gown-- My Tippet-- only Tulle--" (15). These two lines describe the sheer fabric of the gown shes wearing, including a tulle shawl. If I'm not mistaken, tulle is a weird fabric sometimes used in wedding dresses. The fact that the narrator is going away with death while wearing something akin to a wedding gown is strong symbolism showing that death is something you can't turn away from. Is it almost like a commitment? It's an interesting way to view the very complex topic of death.

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