Poetry Explication Paper: Invention Technique and Rough Draft
Invention Technique: Outline
Jesus Arevalo Merino
Deana Nall
English composition II
05 April 2021
The
Use of Literary Devices in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
The
poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson is considered to
be one of the most mysterious pieces of literature in history (Encle 72-75). The
poem was published in 1890 after Dickinson’s death in 1886. She never consented
to her work to be published and no one knows whether the poem was finished or a
work in progress. In the poem, Dickinson describes death as a kind gentleman
who takes her on an endless carriage ride. The poem has been subject to many
conflicting interpretations; however, the use of literary devices in “Because I
Could Not Stop for Death” is very evident.
One of the most noticeable literary devices
present in this poem is symbolism. Symbolism happens when we use symbols to
represent an idea or convey a message. An example of symbolism in this poem is
the House. Many writers who have analyzed the poem often argue that the house
described in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is actually a stone burial
vault. Above-ground burial vaults were very common when Dickinson was alive;
many of these vaults can still be seen in New England today. Their structure is
very similar to the structure of the house described in the poem. When
Dickinson said “a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground” (Dickinson
713-714), she was most likely referring to the grass that covered the whole
structure of the above-ground burial vault (Abbott 212-213). Another example of
symbolism is death. The same writers who argue the house represents a stone
burial vault also believe that death symbolizes a funeral director in this poem.
Funeral directors (This word was capitalized; it should have been lowercase) are kind, courteous, and know exactly what words and tone to use
in moments of grief. When Dickinson uses the phrase “I had put away My labor
and my leisure too, For His Civility” (Dickinson 713-714), she was most likely
referring to the fact that funeral directors are also the ones we give our
undivided attention to when a funeral is taking place (Abbott 140-143). Those
two symbols support the hypothesis that Dickinson’s poem symbolizes a funeral.
The school, the fields, the setting sun, and the house described in the poem
could refer to the stages of life which are being addressed in a sermon
performed by the funeral director (Frank 82-83). The hypothesis does make sense
because the symbols in the poem serve as evidence to support it; however,
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is one of the most ambiguous pieces of
literature that exists. Dickinson is the only person who could confirm or deny
this interpretation; unfortunately, she is no longer with us. Therefore, there
is no way this hypothesis or any other can be confirmed or proven.
Another
obvious literary device present in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is
enjambment. Enjambment happens when a sentence is paused unexpectedly and then
continued. Examples of enjambment can be found all over the poem. One example
being: “Because I could not stop for death- He kindly stopped for me-"
(Dickinson 713-714). The use of the dash is the most prominent feature in the
poem’s structure. The dashes pause sentences and clauses before they end, which
causes readers to stop for a second and read slowly. Dashes differ from commas
and colons, which makes the structure of this poem very interesting to readers
(Spacey).
Personification
is also present in this poem. Personification occurs when we give human
characteristics or qualities to something that is not human. The most evident
example of personification in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is death
itself. In the poem, Dickinson describes death as a kind and civil gentleman
who stops for her to take her on a carriage ride (Encle 72-75). Her description
of death is quite interesting not only because she personified it by
attributing human qualities to it; but also because the characteristics used to
describe it were complementary. Although in most cultures death is seen as
something catastrophic and unfortunate, Dickinson talks about her encounter
with death as if it were a pleasant interaction. The way she personified death
supports a hypothesis that argues this poem is Dickinson’s own hypothesis of
what happens after someone dies. Some writers who have analyzed the poem argue
she was fascinated with death and saw it as a positive experience; therefore,
she wrote this poem (Spacey). However, that is just a hypothesis.
“Because
I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson is a poem that describes a
pleasant encounter with death and a relaxing carriage ride; however, its true
meaning will always remain a mystery. Just like any other ambiguous piece of
literature, this poem has been interpreted in many ways. Readers can choose
which interpretation to believe in based on the evidence presented on each
hypothesis; however, the use of literary devices is obvious to all readers, regardless
of the hypothesis they support.
Works Cited
Abbott,
Collamer M. "Dickinson's because I could Not Stop for Death." The
Explicator, vol. 57, no. 4, 1999, pp. 212-213. ProQuest, https://search-proquest-com.uaptc.idm.oclc.org/scholarly-journals/dickinsons-because-i-could-not-stop-death/docview/216774168/se-2?accountid=39906.
Abbott,
Collamer M. "Dickinson's because I could Not Stop for Death." The
Explicator, vol. 58, no. 3, 2000, pp. 140-143. ProQuest, https://search-proquest-com.uaptc.idm.oclc.org/scholarly-journals/dickinsons-because-i-could-not-stop-death/docview/216774706/se-2?accountid=39906.
Dickinson, Emily. “Because
I Could Not Stop for Death.” Composition Mix (This was not italicized; it should have been italicized), W.W. Norton & Company, 2020, p. 713-714.
Encle, Patricia. "Dickinson's
BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH." The Explicator, vol. 60, no.
2, 2002, pp. 72-75. ProQuest,
https://search.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/dickinsons-because-i-could-not-stop-death/docview/2191284539/se-2?accountid=39906.
Frank,
Bernhard. "Dickinson's because I could Not Stop for Death--." The
Explicator, vol. 58, no. 2, 2000, pp. 82-83. ProQuest, https://search-proquest-com.uaptc.idm.oclc.org/scholarly-journals/dickinsons-because-i-could-not-stop-death/docview/216774409/se-2?accountid=39906.
Spacey, Andrew. Summary and Analysis
of the POEM "Because I Could Not Stop FOR Death" by Emily Dickinson. Owlcation - Education. 7 Jan. 2020,
owlcation.com/humanities/Summary-and-Analysis-of-Poem-Because-I-Could-Not-Stop-For-Death-by-Emily-Dickinson.
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