Poetry Writing Analysis - Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson. I was attracted to this poem as soon as I read the title

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Poetry Writing Analysis – Emily Dickinson

My choice of poem to imitate is “Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson. I was attracted to this poem as soon as I read the title, as it was the mention of death that drew me in. Death seems to be a prominent theme in many of Dickinson’s poems. Having a deep affinity for death and the macabre myself, it was only natural that this one should catch my attention. In this poem Dickinson personifies death, not as a frightening figure, but as a kind and gentle guide.

Death stops in his carriage for the character in the poem and they travel together toward “eternity”. It quickly becomes apparent that something bad is going to happen to this person and we want to yell out in warning. However, despite this predicament, they are truly at ease and unafraid. This is made clear in the second stanza; “And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too” as Dickinson expressed that her character felt so peaceful that she no longer knew anything of work or relaxation. She was simply in the moment and nothing else mattered. It is not until the end of the poem that we realize that the main character is not being led to her death but rather she is recollecting that moment that happened “Centuries” before. She has already been dead for quite some time and it is hinted at that she leads a peaceful existence in the afterlife.

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My own poem is intended to be an extension of the theme in Dickinson’s poem. I wanted to portray that same sense of being at ease in the presence of such an intimidating figure as death, while only hinting at “His” identity. As a matter of fact the name only appears in the title of the poem itself. I also wanted to capture the reader’s attention with a strong title that gave a strong suggestion as to what the poem contained within. I wanted to make the reader feel as though they really did not have much of a choice, ...

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