The Sinister Beauty of Death
Throughout the history of human kind, there have existed a significant number of poets, who did not care to write about "happy things." Rather, they concerned themselves with unpleasant and sinister concepts, such as death. Fascination and personification of death has become a common theme in poetry, but very few poets mastered it as well as Emily Dickinson did. Although most of Dickinson's poems are morbid, a reader has no right to overlook the aesthetic beauty with which she embellishes her "dark" art. It is apparent that for Dickinson, death is more than an event, which occurs at least once in a lifetime of every being. For her, death is a person, who will take her away with Him, when the right time comes, and if she cannot stop for Him, He will kindly stop for her. Thus, Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death" not only makes this vague concept more concrete and creates a very vivid image of death, but also makes us realize that when He comes, there will not be much time to say goodbye to the things that were once near and dear to you, so we should not take them for granted but cherish them while we are still alive. Moreover, her tranquil tone underscores the uselessness of running away from fate. Therefor
She chooses specific words, such as cornice, to amplify the readers' awareness that she is not daunted by the fact that she will be buried, while simultaneously adding style and gracefulness to her poem. Thus, from this very short poem by Emily Dickinson, we can derive that it is unsound to resist the nature. Nevertheless, Dickinson's ideas are not the only factor that makes this poem memorable and intense. Her vivid imagery and diction also greatly contribute to the overall effect that this poem produces upon its readers. In the fifth stanza, she mentions about passing the house, which seems a swelling of the ground. Apparently, she is describing her grave, but she never actually uses that word. She foregoes her past, but what is she to do now? Where is she going? She does not know; yet, she is still not frightened. The tone does change in the last four lines of the poem, but Dickinson's voice does not tremble. She may not know where she is headed; she only understands that there is no other alternative, and she will go wherever the "Horses' Heads" are directed, even if it is toward eternity. Charters, Ann and Samuel. Literature and Its Writers (An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama). 1997 Even though different people meet Him at different times in their lives, Death is inevitable. It is a phenomenon that will occur, whether a person wants it or not. Emily Dickinson suggests that when it comes, we should not indulge in fighting Him, rather, we should come along slowly
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1016
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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