Interpretation Of Death In Because I Could Not Stop For Death

Emily Dickinson once said, “ Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.” Emily Dickenson was inspired by the wonders of nature, death and immortality, and love. Dickinson wrote about things that she knew, and everything intrigued her.

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, on December 10, 1830. Dickinson's father was a lawyer who was elected to the Massachusetts State Legislature in 1837. He also served in the Massachusetts State Senate from 1842 to 1843. Emily's mother was frequently spoken about as being the detached spouse of an overbearing husband. But a few of her surviving letters show that she was a young woman dedicated to her studies. Emily was the middle child in the family between her eldest brother William Austin Dickinson and her younger sister Lavinia Norcross Dickinson. Emily and her siblings all attended Amherst Academy, but the sisters were soon separated from their brother when William was sent to Williston Seminary in 1833. Emily and her sister continued their studies at Amherst Academy. (Emily Dickinson)

Emily loved all aspects of school and Amherst Academy's emphasis on the study of science helped to contribute to Dickinson's growth as a poet. Her last term at Amherst Academy was not the end of her schooling and she would leave Amherst Academy at 15 years old seeking to further her education. In the fall of 1847, Dickinson entered Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. It was said that the women who attended the Seminary were divided into three groups, “Christians”, “people who communicated trust”, and “people who were without trust”. Many years later, a classmate of Emily’s, Clara Newman Turner, remembered the moment when the Headmaster asked for all those women who wanted to be Christians to rise. “Emily remained seated when no one else did.” Turner recalled Emily's comment to her ‘They thought it queer I didn't rise' -- adding with a twinkle in her eye, 'I thought a lie would be queerer.’” (Emily Dickinson 101) This demonstrates Emily’s unwillingness to conform. She was an independent thinker and wanted to show that she had her own mind.

Emily's love and fascination with nature had a tremendous influence on her poetry. Her perspectives were comforting and this came across in her words. Emily had said she 'considers nature as the gentlest mother as she discovers mother like love in the midst of nature.' A case of how Dickinson used her poetry is her words in 'Water is educated by thirst.' This represents that right now individuals don't have any idea what they have until it is gone. She utilizes the connection of how a waterway encompasses somebody, and there is not a single land to be seen, they begin to get nauseous and need to see land once more. The entirety of Dickinson's sonnets about nature has amazingly mind-blowing points of interest in them. She would consistently portray the wonderful parts of nature just as its revolting parts (Themes of Emily Dickinson).

Emily Dickinson’s interpretation of death shows in her short quotes pulled from her poems. “Because I could not stop for Death— He kindly stopped for me—The Carriage held but just Ourselves—And Immortality” The theme of death is frequent in her poems. When she spoke about immortality, it was showing her religious side. No two poems of hers see death the same way. In Emily's poem, 'I heard a fly buzz - when I died-,' Dickinson explores the physical process of dying. In another poem, 'Because I could not stop for Death-,' she personifies death and presents the process of dying merely the realization that there is eternal life. In her poems, her attitude also changes. One time it is believed that death is a terror to be feared and avoided, or a trick played on humanity by God, a welcome relief, and a blessed way to heaven. She also relates immortality to death in her poems. Emily Dickinson states that death functions as a connecting link between life and immortality. (Major Themes of Emily Dickinson’s Poetry)

Emily Dickinson died after two and a half years of suffering from kidney disease in Amherst, Massachusetts, on May 15, 1886, when she was 55. Very little of Emily's work was published at the time of her death and even before her death. The few works of hers that were published were edited and altered to the standards of the time. After her death, Lavinia discovered hundreds of poems that she had written over the years. (Dickinson Biography) A full complication of her works was not published until 1955. It was not until R.W Franklin’s version of Dickinson’s poems appeared in 1998 that her order, unusual punctuation, and spelling choices were completely restored (Emily Dickinson). Originally her gravestone was marked E.E.D, but a few decades later, her niece replaced it with a saying on it saying called back. 'Called Back is the title of a famous Hugh Conway novel. The words were also the content of the letter she sent to her cousins as she entered the final phase of her illness. (Death)

After Emily's death, Laviana promised her that she would burn Emily's papers. When she discovered over 1800 poems that she had written, she instead sought herself out to find someone who could help publish her amazing works. She then found Mabel Loomis Todd. Mabel Todd was the energetic wife of an Amherst College professor. Laviana never realized how much work would go into making Emily's work accepted for publication in the late 19th century. When you line up the edits that Todd made and Dickinson's, it is evident that without the work of Mabel Todd and Millicent Bingham, who joins on the editing, later on, the world might have never known of the poetry of Emily Dickinson. (Dobrow)

Emily was a fantastic American poet who was inspired by her love of nature, death and immortality, and love. She never got to see her poetry published and see how many people were inspired by her works. With Emily's work published, she became one of the world's most famous poets/writers.