In The poem “Because I could not stop for Death“ by Emily Dickinson, the speaker tells of her journey with Death and Immortality. Death is portrayed as a gentleman suitor. This gentleman stops to pick up the speaker and take her for a leisurely and relaxing ride in a horse-drawn carriage. The speaker is comfortable with Death, she is not afraid nor does she beg for more time as they pass through the town where she has lived her life. Along the way she see children playing, fields of grain and the setting sun. It is a peaceful ride. The speaker describes Death as civil as he travels with her towards eternity. Although the speaker in the poem could not stop for death on her own and the poem is about the speaker’s own death, she is not fearful or hesitant to follow Death to her resting place and then on to eternity. In her poem, “Because I could not stop for Death” Emily Dickinson uses personification, imagery, and symbolism to tell of a woman’s peaceful journey from life to death and then to eternity.
In this poem the first literary element that Emily Dickinson uses is personification. She personifies death as a male gentleman who comes calling on the speaker. Death is described as being kind as well as having civility and patients. Death is introduced in the poem right at the start. The speaker says, “He kindly stopped for me” (Dickinson, 1863, line 2). He does this because she was unable to stop for him. He then takes her on a slow drive through the town where she lives. The speaker says, “He knew no haste” (Dickinson, 1863, line 5). The speaker also says, “I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility--” (Dickinson, 1863, lines 6-8). At this point in the poem the speaker is slowly dying a gentle death. Ironically, in this poem Death is not to be feared or avoided but rather the speaker willingly rides with him and immortality to her new resting place. She says, “We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground--” (Dickinson, 1863, lines 17-18). At this point in the poem the speaker

has actually died. She then willingly continues on to eternity in her horse drawn carriage. In line four the speaker also personifies Immortality. She says, “The Carriage held but just Ourselves--And Immortality.” (Dickinson, 1863, lines 3-4). Immortality is the third passenger on this ride that is essentially death. Finally, Emily Dickinson personifies the sunset. The speaker says, “We passed the Setting Sun—Or rather—He passed Us—“ Dickinson provides a different approach when describing dying and death in this poem. Death is not scary or intimidating but rather he is comforting and gentle as he guides the speaker on this very important journey.
A second literary element that Emily Dickinson uses in this poem is imagery. She uses it effectively to convey a sense of serenity on the speaker’s journey. In lines 9-12 the speaker describes scenes that she probably passed on a regular basis but only now notices, as she rides slowly along with Death. She says, “We passed the school, where Children strove At Recess--in the Ring--” (Dickinson, 1863, lines 9-10). We can imagine the children blissfully playing in the schoolyard, ignorant to the fact that the speaker is watching or that she is on her way out of this life and on to eternity. The speaker also says, “We passed the Fields of Grazing Grain--” (Dickinson, 1863, line 11). This line in the poem allows readers to imagine the wheat fields with their massive expanse. We can see the wheat swaying back and fourth in the breeze. It is both a calming sight and sound, as death was calming to the speaker throughout the poem. Finally in this same stanza the speaker says, “We passed the Setting Sun--” (Dickinson, 1863, line 12). Readers can see the sunset she speaks of in this line. It is a beautiful sight, one that anyone would wish to see before leaving this life. A final example of imagery comes in the fifth stanza when the speaker tells of her new home. She says, “We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground--” (Dickinson, 1863, lines 17-18). When reading this line we are able to envision the freshly dug grave that will hold the speakers body now that she has died. However, we are
Made aware that although the speakers body will rest here, she herself will not reside in this home. She willingly continues on in her horse drawn carriage with Death and Immortality “toward Eternity” (Dickinson, 1863, line 24).
The Third element that Emily Dickinson uses in this poem is symbolism. There are several examples of symbolism in “Because I could not stop for Death“. The first is the character of Death. He symbolizes the death of the speaker. He could also symbolize God, who has decided that it is time for the speaker to come home to be with him for all of eternity. Next, we read of the carriage ride that symbolizes the speaker’s final passage to death. The third example of symbolism comes with the setting sun that passes her as she rides through town in the carriage. This symbolizes the actual moment of death or the end of the speaker’s time in this world.
After the sunset we come to the house that she pauses at on her trip. This symbolizes her grave or her earthly body’s final resting place. Finally, the horses symbolize direction and the actual trip to eternity. Whichever direction the horses face, that is where she will be taken. In the final two lines of the poem the speaker says, “Since then--‘tis Centuries--and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses’ Heads Were toward Eternity.” (Dickinson, 1863, lines 21-24).
In conclusion Emily Dickinson effectively uses several literary elements in “Because I could not stop for Death”. In the poem Dickinson describes death as kind, civil, and patient. He is not to be feared or avoided. The speaker in this piece of literature describes death as more of a guide to eternity rather than someone or something to be intimidated by or fearful of. Ironically “Because I could not stop for Death” has a pleasant and peaceful tone.

Reference:
Dickinson, E. (1863). “Because I could not stop for Death.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: BEDFORD/ST. MARTIN’S, 2012. 844-
845. Print