thesis on emily dickinson

A Study of the Poetry of Emily Dickinson

PDF Version Also Available for Download.

Description

This discussion purports to be an original study of the poetry of Emily Dickinson, a study based chiefly on the poems themselves and not on a digest of critical views and opinions.

Creation Information

Dickinson, George Truett August 1937.

This thesis is part of the collection entitled: UNT Theses and Dissertations and was provided by the UNT Libraries to the UNT Digital Library , a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries . It has been viewed 3142 times, with 18 in the last month. More information about this thesis can be viewed below.

People and organizations associated with either the creation of this thesis or its content.

• Dickinson, George Truett
• Stovall, Floyd, 1896-1991 Major Professor

Committee Member

• Sharp, L. A. Minor Professor
• North Texas State Teachers College Place of Publication: Denton, Texas

Rights Holder

For guidance see Citations, Rights, Re-Use .

Provided By

Unt libraries.

The UNT Libraries serve the university and community by providing access to physical and online collections, fostering information literacy, supporting academic research, and much, much more.

Descriptive information to help identify this thesis. Follow the links below to find similar items on the Digital Library.

Degree Information

• Name: Master of Arts
• Level: Master's
• Discipline: English
• Department: Department of English
• Grantor: North Texas State Teachers College
• Emily Dickinson
• human nature
• religion and philosophy
• Thesis or Dissertation

Unique identifying numbers for this thesis in the Digital Library or other systems.

• Call Number : 379 N81 no.93
• UNT Catalog No. : b1357195 | View in Discover
• Accession or Local Control No : 69812
• Archival Resource Key : ark:/67531/metadc29886

Collections

This thesis is part of the following collection of related materials.

UNT Theses and Dissertations

Theses and dissertations represent a wealth of scholarly and artistic content created by masters and doctoral students in the degree-seeking process. Some ETDs in this collection are restricted to use by the UNT community .

What responsibilities do I have when using this thesis?

Digital Files

• 154 image files available in multiple sizes
• 1 file (.pdf)
• Metadata API: descriptive and downloadable metadata available in other formats

Dates and time periods associated with this thesis.

Creation Date

• August 1937

Added to The UNT Digital Library

• Dec. 20, 2010, 7:01 a.m.

Description Last Updated

• April 11, 2023, 10:22 p.m.

Usage Statistics

When was this thesis last used?

Interact With This Thesis

Here are some suggestions for what to do next.

Search Inside

• or search this site for other thesis or dissertations

Start Reading

• All Formats

Citations, Rights, Re-Use

• Citing this Thesis
• Responsibilities of Use
• Licensing and Permissions
• Linking and Embedding
• Copies and Reproductions

International Image Interoperability Framework

We support the IIIF Presentation API

Print / Share

Links for robots.

Helpful links in machine-readable formats.

Archival Resource Key (ARK)

• ERC Record: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/?
• Persistence Statement: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/??

International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF)

• IIIF Manifest: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/manifest/

Metadata Formats

• UNTL Format: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/metadata.untl.xml
• DC RDF: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/metadata.dc.rdf
• DC XML: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/metadata.dc.xml
• OAI_DC : /oai/?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=oai_dc&identifier=info:ark/67531/metadc29886
• METS : /ark:/67531/metadc29886/metadata.mets.xml
• OpenSearch Document: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/opensearch.xml
• Thumbnail: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/thumbnail/
• Small Image: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/small/
• In-text: /ark:/67531/metadc29886/urls.txt
• Usage Stats: /stats/stats.json?ark=ark:/67531/metadc29886

Dickinson, George Truett. A Study of the Poetry of Emily Dickinson , thesis , August 1937; Denton, Texas . ( https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29886/ : accessed November 4, 2023 ), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu ; .

Because I could not stop for Death — Summary & Analysis by Emily Dickinson

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"Because I could not stop for death" is one of Emily Dickinson's most celebrated poems and was composed around 1863. In the poem, a female speaker tells the story of how she was visited by "Death," personified as a "kindly" gentleman, and taken for a ride in his carriage. This ride appears to take the speaker past symbols of the different stages of life, before coming to a halt at what is most likely her own grave. The poem can be read both as the anticipation of a heavenly Christian afterlife and as something altogether more bleak and down-to-earth. Much of its power comes from its refusal to offer easy answers to life's greatest mystery: what happens when people die.

• Read the full text of “Because I could not stop for Death —”

The Full Text of “Because I could not stop for Death —”

1 Because I could not stop for Death –

2 He kindly stopped for me –

3 The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

4 And Immortality.

5 We slowly drove – He knew no haste

6 And I had put away

7 My labor and my leisure too,

8 For His Civility –

9 We passed the School, where Children strove

10 At Recess – in the Ring –

11 We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –

12 We passed the Setting Sun –

13 Or rather – He passed Us –

14 The Dews drew quivering and Chill –

15 For only Gossamer, my Gown –

16 My Tippet – only Tulle –

17 We paused before a House that seemed

18 A Swelling of the Ground –

19 The Roof was scarcely visible –

20 The Cornice – in the Ground –

21 Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet

22 Feels shorter than the Day

23 I first surmised the Horses' Heads

24 Were toward Eternity –

“Because I could not stop for Death —” Summary

“because i could not stop for death —” themes.

Death, Immortality, and Eternity

• See where this theme is active in the poem.

The Cyclical Nature of Life and Death

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “because i could not stop for death —”.

Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality.

We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility –

We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun –

Lines 13-16

Or rather – He passed Us – The Dews drew quivering and Chill – For only Gossamer, my Gown – My Tippet – only Tulle –

Lines 17-20

We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – in the Ground –

Lines 21-24

Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity –

“Because I could not stop for Death —” Symbols

The Carriage

• See where this symbol appears in the poem.

The Children

“Because I could not stop for Death —” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Alliteration.

• See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

Personification

“because i could not stop for death —” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Because I could not stop for Death —”

Rhyme scheme, “because i could not stop for death —” speaker, “because i could not stop for death —” setting, literary and historical context of “because i could not stop for death —”, more “because i could not stop for death —” resources, external resources.

On Playing Emily — A clip in which actor Cynthia Nixon discusses playing Emily Dickinson on screen in "A Quiet Passion." 

A Reading of the Poem — A reading on Youtube by Tom O'Bedlam. 

Dickinson's Meter — A valuable discussion of Emily Dickinson's use of meter. 

The Dickinson Museum — The Emily Dickinson Museum, situated in the poet's old house, has lots of resources for students. 

In Our Time Podcast — Experts talk about Emily Dickinson's life and work on the BBC's In Our Time podcast/radio show. 

LitCharts on Other Poems by Emily Dickinson

A Bird, came down the Walk

After great pain, a formal feeling comes –

A Light exists in Spring

A Murmur in the Trees—to note—

A narrow Fellow in the Grass

An awful Tempest mashed the air—

As imperceptibly as grief

A still—Volcano—Life—

Before I got my eye put out

Fame is a fickle food

Hope is the thing with feathers

I cannot live with You –

I cautious, scanned my little life

I could bring You Jewels—had I a mind to—

I did not reach Thee

I died for Beauty—but was scarce

I dreaded that first Robin, so

I dwell in Possibility –

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

If I can stop one heart from breaking

I had been hungry, all the Years

I have a Bird in spring

I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -

I like a look of Agony

I like to see it lap the Miles

I measure every Grief I meet

I’m Nobody! Who are you?

I started Early — Took my Dog —

I taste a liquor never brewed

It was not Death, for I stood up

I—Years—had been—from Home—

Like Rain it sounded till it curved

Much Madness is divinest Sense -

My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun

Nature is what we see

One need not be a Chamber — to be Haunted

Publication — is the Auction

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers

Success is counted sweetest

Tell all the truth but tell it slant —

The Brain—is wider than the Sky—

The Bustle in a House

The Mushroom is the Elf of Plants

There came a Wind like a Bugle

There is no Frigate like a Book

There's a certain Slant of light

There's been a Death, in the Opposite House

The saddest noise, the sweetest noise

The Sky is low — the Clouds are mean

The Soul has bandaged moments

The Soul selects her own Society

The Wind – tapped like a tired Man –

They shut me up in Prose –

This is my letter to the world

This World is not Conclusion

'Twas the old—road—through pain—

We grow accustomed to the Dark

What mystery pervades a well!

Whose cheek is this?

Wild nights - Wild nights!

Everything you need for every book you read.

“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson Research Paper

Introduction, expounding the central theme, the stand out theme, deeper analysis, the speaker, works cited.

We will write a custom Research Paper on “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson specifically for you for only 9.35/page

808 certified writers online

“Because I Could Not Stop For Death” is one of the most analyzed poems by Emily Dickinson. Consequently, it can be argued that this poem has been exhausted through repeated analysis and dissection. Nevertheless, Dickinson’s crown jewel can still surprise a keen reader by offering brand new perspectives that have otherwise gone unnoticed in the past. “Because I Could Not Stop For Death” is one of the few lengthy poems that Dickinson wrote. The fascinating poem was not assigned a title by the poet and its first line serves as the title. The poet only numbered her poems instead of assigning titles to her works.

The poem has six stanzas and features a complete rhyme pattern. The separation of lines using dashes was a signature style of the poet, and it can be seen in her other works. The theme of the poem is death, a dramatic, obvious, and constant subject. The poem’s unique touch is the characterization of death and the consequent relationship between this character and the speaker. The interaction between death and the speaker is intertwined with various symbols such as the horse carriage, playing children, and the sunset. Death, who is a man, drives the speaker through a journey from her habitat and into the unknown. This essay takes a new critical approach to “Because I Could Not Stop For Death” about how the poem influences the reader’s total experience.

Death is the central theme in this poem but how the poet handled it is interesting to an inquisitive reader. A look at some of Dickinson’s other poems indicates that she covered the topic of death intensively (Miller 32). In this poem, death is a man who stops to pick up the speaker in a carriage. The interaction between death the metaphor and death the symbol is one of the factors that make this poem refreshing. The reader can visualize ‘death’ arriving to pick up the speaker in a taxicab fashion, and then proceeding on a typical journey.

It would be safe to assume that death and the speaker are not in opposition to each other. The friendliness and kindness of death towards the speaker is in contrast with the norm. In this case, it appears that the speaker does not harbor any feelings of fear or hatred towards death. At the very least, the speaker is cordial toward the driver of the carriage. In reality, most people are not pleasant to the idea of death. The hallmark lines in the poem are “Because I could not stop for death…He kindly stopped for me” (Mays 839). The speaker takes time to note that death is a courteous gentleman who takes the initiative to be kind to a pleasant customer. It is important to notice how the poet’s style of using dashes works wonderfully for the first two lines. The temporary pause that is provided by the use of a dash works to deliver the reader into the unfamiliar territory, where death is a friendly fellow. Overall, this feature “is used to temporarily pause a sentence or clause, where the reader takes a fleeting breath before continuing….this tends to isolate a phrase in a manner different to, say, a comma or colon” (White 128).

There is nothing out of the ordinary about this poem’s rhythm. The poem features a four/three-beat rhythm in every four-line stanza. This approach helps in reinforcing the idea of a leisurely journey as described by the speaker. The poem’s rhyme scheme can be analyzed as ‘abcb’, with the second and fourth lines featuring similar slants. The only exception to this rhyme pattern is the fourth stanza. The fourth stanza is different because it is connected with the changing mood in the poem. In the third stanza, the speaker and the carriage pass the setting sun. Consequently, they enter into uncertainty where “The dews drew quivering and chill…For only Gossamer, my Gown…” (Mays 839). The wording in this stanza suggests that the speaker is barely covered at this time as all that remains is her soul. The description of the speaker’s attire, which includes a tippet, tulle, and Gossamer, can be interpreted to mean that she is now traversing the spirit world. This unusual dressing mode was a subtle message by Dickinson who was suggesting to the reader that in the end, only a very little aspect of the human element would be carried into the spirit world. The largesse of this life does not survive where the speaker is headed.

Although “Because I Could Stop Not For Death” appears to be a poem with a uniform tone and theme, there are deeper reflections within its setting. Specifically, there are three levels of contrast that are hidden within the rhythmic flow and the setting of the poem. Each of these levels comes with a varying degree of interpretation of life and death. The first stage of revelation in the poem is the two opening lines; “Because I could not stop for death…He kindly stopped for me” (Mays 839). These lines simply indicate how death works. Even though nobody expects it, death will be kind enough to pick a person up whenever and wherever. These opening lines introduce the readers to the poet’s philosophy about death. The second stage of revelation is found in the third and fourth stanzas. The last line of the third stanza and the first line in the fourth stanza read, “We passed the setting sun…Or rather…He passed us” (Mays 839).

This contrast indicates how death is intertwined with other natural phenomena such as the movement of the stars. This revelation is also another relevant aspect of Dickinson’s philosophy. When investigated critically, these lines suggest that death is both an end, and a beginning. The final contrast in Dickinson’s poem is revealed through the first two lines in the last stanza; “Since then…’tis Centuries…and yet…Feels shorter than the Day” (Mays 839). At this point, the poem takes the readers towards the essence of eternity. Also, this point of contrast reveals the poet’s willingness to accommodate different viewpoints including religion and science. Dickinson was raised as a strict Christian but she did not defend religion in an outright manner. This was a running theme in Dickinson’s life, as she remained agonistic about the teachings of the Church (Sewall 65).

The speaker in this poem can be taken to represent different things. On one part, she represents certain aspects of Dickinson’s life, and on the other, she signifies the mortal being. Research indicates that Emily Dickinson was a reclusive figure who went through an unspecified amount of emotional turmoil (Gilbert and Gubar 13). This fact can explain why the speaker does not appear to fear death because she welcomes it to some extent. In her reclusive state, Dickinson might have had no joy in life and this leads her to acquaint herself with the idea of death. On the other hand, all mortal beings have a mandatory date with death. This poem represents the most practical approach to the expectation of mortality.

Symbolism in the poem starts with a simple journey that leads to eternity. Symbolism in this poem indicates that time is a relative concept in the afterlife as opposed to its essence in this life. For instance, the speaker comes across children who are in recess and passes by fields of grazing grains. All these are symbols of the changing times and the responsibilities of this life (White 22). This symbolism of familiar aspects of this life is in contrast with that of the final stanzas where the speaker is entering into the unknown world of eternity.

In “Because I Could Not Stop For Death”, the poet delves into familiar themes but she ends up portraying them in a new light. The core message of the poem is not divinity, but it is about the simplicity and complexity of death. Death in this poem is a peaceful force that transports mortals to the spiritual realm. Bits of the poet’s personal life can be found in this poem including her mild resistance to basic religious teachings. The tone of the speaker is that of resignation, acceptance, and openness to adventure. The poem is rich in symbolism that accentuates different aspects of the speaker’s journey.

Gilbert, Sandra, and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination . Yale University Press, 2008.

Mays, Kelly. The Norton Introduction to Literature . WW Norton & Company, 2015.

Miller, Cristanne. Reading in Time: Emily Dickinson in the Nineteenth Century . University of Massachusetts Press, 2012.

Sewall, Richard Benson. The Life of Emily Dickinson . Harvard University Press, 1994.

White, Fred. Approaching Emily Dickinson: Critical Currents and Crosscurrents since 1960 . Camden House, 2008.

Need a custom research paper sample written from scratch by professional specifically for you?

807 certified writers online

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

IvyPanda. (2020, September 14). “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson. https://ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-emily-dickinson/

IvyPanda. (2020, September 14). “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson. Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-emily-dickinson/

"“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson." IvyPanda , 14 Sept. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-emily-dickinson/.

1. IvyPanda . "“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson." September 14, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-emily-dickinson/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson." September 14, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-emily-dickinson/.

IvyPanda . 2020. "“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson." September 14, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-emily-dickinson/.

IvyPanda . (2020) '“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson'. 14 September.

• "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Dickinson
• “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Dickinson
• The Theme of Death in Emily Dickinson’s Works
• Emily Dickinson's Contribution to the US Literature
• John Donne’s and Emily Dickinson’s Poetry on Death
• Impression of Emily Dickinson's Work
• Analysis of Emily Dickinson's Album
• Emily Dickinson “If I Should Die” Analysis
• An Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s Poetry
• I’m Nobody! Who Are You? Poem by Emily Dickinson
• American Southern Literature
• "It's Your Ship" by D. Michael Abrashoff
• "The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank Stockton
• National Identity in "Song of Solomon" by Morrison
• "Racism and Prejudice: “Gone with the Wind“ and ""The Help"""