Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Because I could not stop for Death
- Stanza 1
- Because I could not stop for Death
- Capitalised 'D' on 'Death - gives death importance, dominance,
seems almost threatening, personifies it
- He kindly stopped for me -
- 'He' - personifying death, giving it human features
- 'Kindly' - building a persona/personality to death like a human being,
chivalrous, gentlemanly
- The Carriage held but just ourselves -
- 'Carriage' - Fairytale connotations? Dreamlike?
- And Immortality.
- Stanza 2
- We slowly drove - He knew no haste
- 'We' - personal pronoun, inclusive, togetherness
- 'Slowly' - Careful, in no rush,
- And I had put away
- My labor and my leisure too
- For his Civility -
- 'He' is Civil, polite, gentlemanly, appropriate - continues to
build up a personality for death similarly to a human being
- Stanza 3
- We passed the School, where Children strove
- 'The School' - Not just any school, THE School - passing memories of her childhood? Her School life?
- 'Children' - connotes innocence, purity, delicacy
- At Recess - in the Ring -
- 'Ring' - negative connotations, fighting - bullying?
Maybe shes reflecting on her childhood as being tough?
- We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain -
- Cycle of life - 'Grain' - Grows > Harvested (Cut Down) > Regrows
- We passed the Setting Sun -
- 'Setting Sun' - End of the day, Completion? Her life is coming to an end?
- Stanza 4
- Or rather - He passed us -
- Sun overtakes her - Abrupt shift in mood, she is stationary, not going anywhere, not moving
- Moment of realisation that it is the end, accepting? or not?
- The Dews drew quivering and chill -
- 'Quivering and Chill' - Cold external environment, negative connotations
- For only Gossamer, my Gown -
- My Tippet - only Tulle -
- Stanza 5
- We paused before a House that seemed
- 'House' - More gentle way of saying 'Grave', houses often connote safety, stability
- A Swelling of the Ground -
- 'Swelling' - generally negative connotations - pain, suffering
- The Roof was scarcely visible -
- The Cornice - in the Ground -
- More brutal image - contradictory to the 'House' image
- Matter of fact about death
- Stanza 6
- Since then - 'tis Centuries - and yet
- Feels shorter than the Day
- Time has gone quickly for her, life has continued without her
- She is lay in her Grave with no duties
- I first surmised the Horses' Heads
- 'Horses' relating with 'Carriage - Fairytale, dreamlike aspect? Prince
charming? - Death as a gentleman figure?
- Were toward Eternity
- She accepted the fact she was being taken away by death the moment she saw the Horses
- METRE
- Iambic metre:
Unstressed, Stressed
- Stanza 4
- Jarred metre: 3 Stressed, 4
Stressed, 4 Stressed, 3 Stressed
- Change in tone/mood
- From sentimental --> dark/eeiry
- Disjointed metre = Disjointed meaning?
- RHYTHM
- Stanza's 1, 2 & 6 see a HALF RHYME on lines 2 and 4
- Half Rhymes = uncertainty, unconrolled, fragmented,
unconfident, uncomfortable
- Rhythm changes in Stanza 4 (See Metre)
- PUNCTUATION
- Dashes
- Frequently used - suggests no escape/relief from her reality, perhaps she is taking her time as there is
*no rush* - used to 'drag the poem out'? - She is able to appreciate whats happening to her?
- Poem ends on a dash after the term 'Eternity' - ongoing? continuous life after death? immortal?
- Full stop
- Use of a full stop once throughout the entire poem at the end of stanza 1
- Creates closure to that section of her life - she is able to move on from that part perhaps?
- Enjambment
- Quickens the pace
- Rushed? Unthought out?
- JOURNEY
- Life > Death
- Innocence > Experience/Understanding
- 'Death' led the way and prepared her for her life after death