Because I Could Not Stop for Death - Essay

Another essay I wrote for a class. This time it is Emily Dickinson's 712 also known as Because I Could Not Stop for Death. Here's the poem for those of you who don't know it.

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.

Or rather, he passed us;
The dews grew quivering and chill,
For only gossamer my gown,
My tippet only tulle.

We paused before house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.

Emily Dickinson’s No. 712: Death, a Kindly Gentleman

How can death be a kindly gentleman? Death represents the ending of life on this earth. Death is sometimes thought of as the final state of existence, and it is accompanied by tears of sorrow, torment, or pain. The one who is dying is not ready to leave this world, so there is mourning, grief, and sometimes very ambiguous feelings. As mortality passes, will there be an eternity? Why is one not prepared to die? Is it because of fear that one’s perception is not of a time without end? Can a life with this perception truly accept death as it comes? Where society would view Death as an uninvited visitor, the speaker in Emily Dickinson’s “712” personifies Death as a welcomed guest.

“Because I could not stop for Death/He kindly stopped for me” suggests that the speaker is accompanied by a gentleman named Death (1, 2). The speaker here is unaware that Death is coming because she is quite busy with her daily routine, so Death seeks her. Where it states, “The Carriage held by just Ourselves/And Immortality,” the speaker identifies Death as a kind gentleman who will lead her through an inevitable doorway to eternity, a timeless journey of the spirit with no beginning or end (3, 4). The speaker identifies Death as someone she can trust enough to be alone with. I feel the speaker does not fear Death, for she seems quite comfortable with him and his kind, gentle presence when she states, “And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too/For His Civility” (6-8). Out of courtesy, the speaker seems to give Death her undivided attention while the journey is in motion as if he has something important to give her. The gift Death gives is yet to come.

Why is one not prepared to die? This life consists of many things that one can enjoy, and it is hard to leave it all behind. Knowing those things will be taken away makes one question why death is necessary. Dickinson opens up the reader’s mind to question these things; however, death does not come quickly for “We slowly drove—He knew no haste” (5). Because it is her last ride, she is not in a hurry and, more significantly, neither is Death. With his gentleness, Death makes the speaker feel at ease on her last journey through life. The unavoidable trip through time can be wonderful if one does not worry about preparing for it. Planning for something that is unpredictable is not always possible. There is an end, and the first step to accepting that end is allowing the ride with Death to be a pleasant one. Dickinson wants the reader to feel that satisfying joy the speaker seems to feel while she is being taken to her final resting place. I can almost see her smiling outside the window of the carriage in awe of what is happening to her.

Instead of the usual “Grim Reaper” who cuts life short, the speaker sees Death as a deliverer from this life to eternal life. The speaker is taken to places her life consisted of, such as:

the School, where Children strove
At Recess—in the Ring—
We passed the fields of Gazing Grain—
We passed the Setting Sun—
Or rather—He passed Us—. (9-13)

I interpret Dickinson’s use of “the Setting Sun” as a hint to the reader that the speaker is questioning her mortal existence at that moment (12). When the sun sets, it will be the end of the day and her mortality. There will no longer be children playing, and those things will no longer exist to her. The life the speaker will have in the grave will be where the sun passes over her completely. The speaker looks back and realizes that the sun setting happens over the grave wherein she lies when she states: “Or rather—He passed Us” (13). When Death carries life to its final destination, the sun is of no importance any longer. The soul is taken toward eternity, far beyond the reach of the sun. An individual with a realization that there is life beyond the grave can accept Death’s arriving in a chariot toward “Immortality,” beckoning the soul to come with him (4). Dickinson emphasizes Death as kind and trustworthy enough that one should accept his invitation to ride with him on the way to eternity. The idea that Death cuts life short, like the misunderstood “Grim Reaper,” is not what Dickinson wants to express to her reader. Dickinson wants the reader to understand that Death requests his or her presence at a place that is waiting for the arrival of souls who leave this world. That place is eternity.

The idea that there is life beyond this realm is what the speaker is trying to put across to the reader. The message the speaker stresses to the reader is that it is okay to question where this life leads to after death. As mortality passes, will there be eternity? Maybe the reason one is not always prepared to die is because he or she does not feel eternity exists. However, the speaker in this poem clearly believes in eternity when she states: “The Carriage held but just Ourselves/And Immortality” (3, 4). Eternity can be interpreted many ways, but most importantly that eternity exists to the speaker is vital to the understanding of Dickinson’s personification of Death as a welcomed guest. Death is inevitable, and there is nothing one can do to prevent it from happening. Dickinson brings life to Death in order to explain that what he offers is an entrance to happiness that is incomprehensible. Death is not something to fear. The eternal perspective Dickinson strongly expresses in this poem makes a profound impact on the reader’s view of how Death can be considered a friend. She specifically uses the word kind to suggest that kindness is usually shown amongst friends and loved ones. Those who are considerate toward others tend to gain their trust, and I think that is the statement Dickinson is making about Death.

As the speaker is departing, the reader is given information pertaining to her garments. It states: “For only Gossamer, my Gown/My Tippet—only Tulle” (15, 16). Dickinson describes burial clothing, a thin, veil-like material with long sleeves hanging from the shoulders, to give the reader the foreshadowing of the speaker’s arrival to the grave. The importance of the statement, “The Dews drew quivering and chill,” is that it explains that the speaker is just now realizing that she is dressed for burial and that her ride in the carriage is drawing to a close (14).

The speaker describes the grave, upon arrival, as “a House that seemed/A Swelling of the Ground” (17, 18). The speaker never actually calls it a grave, but continues to describe the top as “scarcely visible/The Cornice—in the Ground” (19, 20) to give the reader the opportunity to visualize the probability that it is indeed a grave. The mention that she arrives at “a House” that is “of the Ground” implies that she will be living in the ground to wait for the soul to reach eternity. The speaker is at her destination and looks back “’tis Centuries” later to realize the journey “Feels shorter than the Day/I first surmised the Horses’ Heads/Were toward Eternity” (21-24). The speaker recognizes Death lasts only a short time in comparison to an infinite realm where she now lives.In conclusion, Death may seem like something to fear; however, Dickinson propounds that he is someone to welcome because he takes the soul on a journey leading toward the heavens. Society may view Death as an uninvited visitor, but it is clear in Dickinson’s “712” that the speaker personifies Death as a welcomed guest leading her through an inevitable doorway to eternity, a timeless journey of the spirit with no beginning or end.