Emily Dickinson poem-BecauseIcouldn'tstopfordeath

Analyzing this poem with "Mathew Arnold's concept(what is poetry) in the study of poetry essay:

An archangel to receive his prey for heaven.

It also suggests as we are going to discuss in below mentioned  poem, that in many Indian scriptures whether it is Muslim or Hindu or in Christian there also the fetcher of heaven is man.

Because I could not stop for Death – Emily Dickinson.

He kindly stopped for me –The Carriage held but just Ourselves –And Immortality.
We slowly drove – He knew no hasteAnd I had put awayMy labor and my leisure too,For His Civility –
We passed the School, where Children stroveAt Recess – in the Ring –We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –We passed the Setting Sun –
Or rather – He passed Us –The Dews drew quivering and Chill –For only Gossamer, my Gown –My Tippet – only Tulle –
We paused before a House that seemedA Swelling of the Ground –The Roof was scarcely visible –The Cornice – in the Ground –
Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yetFeels shorter than the DayI first surmised the Horses' HeadsWere toward Eternity –BY EMILY DICKINSON

"Because I could not stop for Death –

He kindly stopped for me –

The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

And Immortality".

If we look to the first stanza it says about the speaker, who can't stop for death. While addressing something as "He" so here a question arises that is this death for which the poet has used "he" as dominion like thing "as patriarchal society". Then is it said that the duo, 'death' the 'narrator' both are immortal and if one is describing 'death' as immortal, where noone can escape then 'according to "Mathew Arnold" it is criticism of life' of what "the nature of law says".

The poetic beauty:

As the poem is also embellished with "Oxymoron" like figures of speech(I could not stop Vs He kindly stopped for me). Then we see further it also has "Vyanjana" one of the level of meanings, according to "Indian poetics"(as here immortality of death suggests the reality as prescribed in prior proposition).

Here "He" also seems as a sign suggesting something as I have presented in "first stanza". Where according to "Russian formalist" as concerned with "code" for signification, can be unfolded in many ways.

While it also suggests according to 'Thanatology' by Sigmund Freud as the writer oneself is in tendency of taking risk or self-annihilation, so not caring of whatever is going to encounter in his/her/its life.

The poetic truth and seriousness:

As it is about death, we "the readers" may be thinking as it is somewhat like serious thing as always we  have assumptions for death( as I have put forward in my blog on "the concept of death: Thanatology - Sigmund Freud"). As it is given "poetic truth" so the frightening, unpleasant like feeling of death is moderated, where the readers who read might be feeling after reading this poem as "a positive idea" has been described by the one who has written.

"We passed the School, where Children strove

At Recess – in the Ring –

We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –

We passed the Setting Sun –".

"Or rather – He passed Us –

The Dews drew quivering and Chill –

For only Gossamer, my Gown –

My Tippet – only Tulle –".

"We paused before a House that seemed

A Swelling of the Ground –

The Roof was scarcely visible –

The Cornice – in the Ground –".

First stanza's last line's phrase "setting sun" is linked with the rest two consequent stanzas. "Setting sun" here describes "death". So it is told rather we passed or he passed away, here it is getting clear that "he" is suggesting death. As it has been suggested the poem is describing its aftermath as how "a death takes various shapes". When earthquake takes place in any area/region/ place it has the same tendency as presented in the latter stanza.

From the first stanza we get idea of "spring" as it indicates children and school, while the last line of the same stanza suggests something foreshadowy like prediction, where perhaps someone is going to die.

The readers may have impact on themselves if evaluating mimetically that the person is at her best in giving various archetypal images of death.

For example: "He" as a man. "Setting sun" also indicates as something ill-omen or death is widening its legs towards its dearest person. It also has "poetic truth" and "poetic beauty" in it as have said in aforementioned and the present stanza.

"Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses' Heads

Were toward Eternity –"

Last stanza suggests the person's past and the second line indicates his/her loneliness and perhaps lastly she may be waiting for her own self's death as she has been now frustrated from her own life. It also gives an idea of "necrophobia" and "thanatophobia" as coined by "Freud".

Thus we learnt here how this poem clears the concept of "death" , how it is seen by a particular person in this poem, how oneself has tried best to give it the effect of "poetic truth" and "poetic beauty" along with the seriousness of its matter and substance as an ideology of "Mathew Arnold" is seen.

Thankyou

Samiya Kagdi

A learner at PG center

Department of English

MKBU