The two poems " Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and " Death be not proud" both look at the subject of death.

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Poetry Essay

The two poems “ Because I Could Not Stop for Death“ and “ Death be not proud” both look at the subject of death. Poem 1 Death is not proud written by John Donne looks at death by using personification. Poem 2 Because I Could Not Stop For Death written by Emily Dickinson looks at death through using a metaphor of a journey.

  The poem” Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is about death and death being arrogant with its power, immediately makes the reader stop and think about what the poem could possibly be about. Poem 1 begins by using repetition of the title to emphasise that death should not be proud of its actions. The second line builds on this by switching the mood completely; making death look friendly and welcoming by saying “ he kindly stopped for me “ this might make the reader think that death is not bad after all. On the third line the poet uses a metaphor when he says the words carriage this might imply it is a coffin also it might imply death is not such a nice character after all, he is more like our perception of the grim reaper which adds to the tension in the poem making the reader think is death evil or a kind gentle figure. In the final line of this verse the writer uses the word “Immortality” which sounds like a promise of ever lasting life, which gives the feeling of hope.

  The writer starts the second verse by saying “ he knew no haste” which might imply that they are on a journey to death and death creeps up slowly on everyone which is followed up by the mood changing to a feeling of angriness because the person had given up their time to go on a journey only to find the driver had no haste which is continued on the next line when the writer says “ put away” which may suggest death e.g. put away in a box which carries on the poems idea of death. In the next verse the writer uses alliteration when he repeats the word we passed, to show as time passes by we reach closer and closer to death. On the following line there is alliteration of the letter L which is a soft letter, which you normally associate with good times and love etc, not with the theme of this poem, which is death. In the next verse “We passed” is repeated to show that they are only observers on the journey, also that the fact that we can only watch life go by as death creeps up slowly on all of us. With the use of “ Gazing Grains” it could be trying to use them as the seasons and time passing by in someone’s life.

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 In the next verse the writer says “ Or rather he passed us” which suggests death is outside of time and can control what is going on which give him power over everything if death could control time. Also in this verse you get an image of hope when the writer mentions weddings which is meant to be a time of joy and happiness unlike a funeral which a time of mourning, which is an oxymoron because it is two contrasting images.

 In the penultimate verse there is repetition of the word “ ground” which emphasises when you are buried, ...

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