Death: A Relative Topic
Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst Massachusetts, in 1830 and died in 1886. A shy, reclusive person, Dickinson has come to be known as one of America's greatest poets. Even though only seven of Dickinson's poems were published in her lifetime, her poetry was published after her death and was available to the public in 1890. The subjects of her poems were mainly of love, death, nature, immortality, and beauty. One of Dickinson's better known poems that involves the theme of death would be titled, "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," first published in 1890. In the poem, the character of death is personified as a human being, which is one of the early examples of Death becoming one of the great characters of literature. Often compared to Emily Dickinson, the poet Christina Rossetti was born in 1830 in London, England and died in 1894. Early illness had a great effect on her poetry. As stated by her brother, "she was compelled, even if not naturally disposed, to regard this world as a 'valley of the shadow of death." Depressive and reclusive, she lived a simple life. Like Dickinson, Rossetti's subjects were mostly love and death. The theme of death is present in her final poem shortly before her death entitled, "Sleeping
Rossetti's poem is appropriately named "Sleeping at Last," since it was her final poem written shortly before her death. Rossetti treats death as a peaceful sleep. The persona in the poem speaks of the death of a woman, who could be lying in her deathbed, casket, or grave. Symbolism is a key factor to the theme of death in the poem. George P. Landow, Professor of English and Art History at Brown University, states of Rossetti's use of symbolism: "Like many of her contemporaries, including her brother, Tennyson, both Brownings, and Hopkins, she occasionally makes elaborate uses of typological symbolism." Death is symbolized by sleep in the poem. Usually we associate sleep with death. Death can be sometimes described as "eternal rest." Most of the time, when we think of rest, we usually associated it with sleep. As in Dickinson's poem, Rossetti has a different view of death (peaceful, freeing) than most of today's society (sadness, anger, violence). The relieved, peaceful tone of the poem also contributes to the optimistic view on death that can be found through the repeated phrase of "sleeping at last." Rossetti writes of the suffering the woman has been saved from through death: "No more a tired heart downcast or overcast / No more pangs that wring of shifting fears that hover / Sleeping at last in a dreamless sleep locked fast" (Lines 5-7). The speaker describes that death relieves the dead woman from any pain, suffering, or fear that she may have had while she was alive. Sometimes death is the only way to end suffering, such as putting animals to "sleep" (another instance of how sleep is associated with death) who are suffering from an terminal injury or illness. Dickinson's poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death," describes
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Approximate Word count = 1185
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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