Emily Dickinson talks about death in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” p. 635. Many writers talk about death but most of the time it is with anger or defiance. This poem however, has a steady, cool demeanor about the “Carriage” ride referred to as dying in the poem. It has a very pleasant rhythm and rhyming sequence. I enjoyed reading this poem because it conveys a very mature and yet brave stance concerning death.
Death is a universal theme and issue. Everybody dies. The theme of death is what makes it a good poem for all of us, as we can all relate to it. We have all had somebody dear to us that has “passed” away. We all have to face our mortality, and we all have our own understanding or ideas regarding “Immortality” in the form of “Eternity.”
Emily Dickinson wrote “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” when she was sixty years old. She was residing with her family (no husband or children though) but was quite isolated from the outside world. This might explain why she alludes to the seasons of life including “Fields of Grazing Grain—“, which could be analyzed as the fruits of her life or even as children. This poem seems particularly tied to her life experiences and her emotional/psychological self at that point in her life. If anybody is interested in learning more about her life, these websites are a good start: http://www.biographyonline.net/poets/emily_dickinson.html, http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/155
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