Because I Could Not Stop For Death Flashcards
When was ‘I couldn’t stop for death’
1863
What is the theme of ‘because I could not stop for death’
Death
Acceptance
What is the tone of ‘because I could not stop for death’
Content
Calm
What is the structure of ‘because I could not stop for death’
Similar to ‘I heard a fly buzz when I died’ it is a 6 quatrain poem in regular iambic tetrameter
Regular ABCB rhyme with some internal rhymes “held, ourselves”
Ballad metre showing a less chilling effect
What is the form of ‘because I could not stop for death’
Allegory, she’s speaking from beyond the grave
Calm lyricism
Metre replicates the marching of death or the sound of the horses hooves marching forward
What are quick language techniques of ‘because I could not stop for death’ (1)
- conjunction “because” showing that to start death is unexpected.
- Capital letter of “death” showing death to be an alive physical thing and also causing it to make death seem important
- “the carriage he’d but just ourselves and immortality” giving context on courting, immortality is the chaperone, she is comfortable with death, he’s a gentleman as she goes on a date with him.
- Metonymy “my labor and my leisure too” devaluing life to two things- showing that she’s died she’s leaving these mundane things behind.
What are quick language techniques of ‘because I could not stop for death’ (2)
- The dashes In stanza 3 represent each stage of life “at recess- in the ring-“ showing that she’s passing on she’s speaking g from beyond the grave, she’s not upset she’s reminiscent.
- anaphora of “we passed” is used as an ironic euphemism for death.
- change of pronoun to collective noun “we” showing her becoming one with death, she doesn’t fear him she seemingly joins him.
- Sibilant warm tones in alliteration “setting sun” showing an end of life and calmness
What are quick language techniques of ‘because I could not stop for death’ (3)
- Metaphor “we paused before a House” metaphor of House shows a welcoming death, she’s invited into death
- repetition of ground further showing death giving grave imagery
- “since then- tis centuries - and yet feels shorter than the day” symbolism that she’s enjoying death that she doesn’t even feel the time passing
What is a quick overview of ‘because I could not stop for death’
This poem follows a character being welcomed by death into a carriage in which she is shown the stages of life before she’s brought to her final resting place in which she feels calm and happy contrasts to a lot of Dickinsons other poems.
What is context of ‘because I could not stop for death’
She had a graveyard outside her house.
Critic Clark Griffith stated death as a “courtly lover”
She died in 1886
