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Because I Could Not Stop For Death

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48 views3 pages

Because I Could Not Stop For Death

Uploaded by

laskaranamul29
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH

A. Answer these questions in one or two words.


1. Which country does Emily Dickinson belong to?
Ans. Emily Dickinson belongs to America.
2. What is the ‘House’ referred to in the poem?

Ans. ‘House’ is the grave referred to in the poem.


3. What does the word ‘immortality’ mean?
Ans. ‘Immortality’ means ‘eternal life’.
4. Where does the carriage stop?
Ans. The carriage stops near the grave.

B. Answer these questions in a few words each.


1. Describe the scenes witnessed by the speaker as she passes by during her carriage ride
with Death.
Ans. As the speaker passes by during her carriage ride with death, she records images
representing different phases of her life. First, she ‘passed the school, where children strove’ and
‘the fields of grazing grain’ allowing the speaker to revisit her childhood and adulthood. Then
she ‘passed the setting sun’ which symbolizes death.
2. Which words are used to describe Death in the poem?
Ans. In the poem ‘he kindly stopped for me’ suggests death a gentlemanly figure. Dickinson
presents death as a suitor who ‘knew no haste’. ‘Civility’ is another term representing death as a
polite figure who is behaving respectfully and remains silent, mysterious and shadowy figure
throughout the poem.
3. What is symbolic about the Carriage in the poem?
Ans. The Carriage in the poem ‘Because I could not stop for Death’ symbolizes the journey from
life to death. The carriage becomes a metaphorical vehicle for the passage from the mortal world
to the afterlife. It is also associated with the concept of mortality and signifies that death is
inevitable for all the individuals.
4. Why does Dickinson describe death as being kind and civil in the poem?
Ans. Emily Dickinson in the poem ‘Because I could not stop for Death’ describes death as kind
and civil to offer a unique perspective on the inevitable and feared concept of death. She
personifies death as a suitor or a gentleman caller who picks up the speaker in a carriage for a
calm and peaceful journey towards the afterlife.
5. What is the role of ‘immortality’ in the poem?
Ans. In the poem ‘Because I could not stop for Death’, Emily Dickinson presents immortality as
a contrasting element to the concept of death. As the speaker continues her journey towards
death, the poem also explores the idea of immortality through the progression of various images
symbolizing childhood, maturity and the end of life.

C. Answer these questions briefly in your own words.


1. What is the significance of the ‘Setting Sun’ in the poem?

Ans. The ‘Setting sun’ symbolizes the end of life and the arrival of death. That is, the speaker’s
sun is setting, and she is leaving her earthly existence. When the poet says that the carriage
passed the setting sun, she has not come to terms with the unknown realms into which she has
now entered. But soon she realizes that she is out of the bounds of human time. She is in eternity
now and hence, ‘the setting sun’, the assured mark of the passage of time for life on earth is no
longer valid for the poet.
2. How does Dickinson indicate the impression of the grave?
Ans. The carriage stops at a house that seems “a swelling of the ground.” Evidently it is
suggestive of the mound over a grave. Moreover the roof of the house was too low to be easily
visible. Besides, its cornice is in the ground. Such details of her description of the house identify
it with the grave. Her description of the grave as her ‘house’ indicates how comfortable she feels
about death. There, after centuries pass, so pleasant is her new life that time seems to stand still,
feeling ‘shorter than a day’.
3. What is the main idea of the poem ‘Because I Could Not Stop for Death’?
Ans. ‘Because I could not stop for Death’ is about Emily Dickinson’s calm acceptance of death.
She presents the experience as no more frightening and receives death as a gentleman caller. The
poem explores the journey of the speaker with death as a suitor and the as they pass through
different stages of life, from childhood to adulthood and finally the ending of life and to the
realization of mortality.
D. Answer these questions in detail.
1. Comment on the significance of the title of the poem’ Because I Could not Stop for
Death’
Ans. The title of the poem, “Because I could not stop for Death,” is significant in several ways. It
sets the tone for the exploration of death and mortality within the poem. The title conveys a sense
of urgency and inevitability, highlighting the idea that death is an unstoppable force that no one
can avoid.

The use of the word “because” suggests that the speaker had a choice, but circumstances
prevented her from stopping for Death. This implies that the speaker is not willingly embracing
death but rather being guided by it. The title also emphasizes the personification of Death as a
prominent figure in the poem. Death is portrayed not as an abstract concept but as an active
participant, a suitor, pursuing and accompanying the speaker throughout the journey. This
personification adds a layer of depth and complexity to the exploration of mortality.
The title also sets up a contrast between the speaker’s perspective and Death’s perception of
time. While the speaker could not stop for Death, it is implied that Death does not adhere to the
same constraints of time as humans. This contrast is further explored in the poem, as the speaker
reflects on the passing of centuries since their journey with Death, highlighting the timeless
nature of mortality. The title “Because I could not stop for Death” encapsulates the poem’s
central themes of inevitability, mortality, and the journey towards death.

2. How is Death personified in the poem ‘Because I Could not Stop for Death’?
Ans. Death is personified in “Because I could not stop for Death” as a kindly gentleman who
takes the speaker for one last ride in his carriage. Dickinson's personification of death is in
complete contrast to how it is usually presented, as a menacing force that causes pain and
separation. Unlike presenting death as something dark, evil, and ominous, Dickinson creates
quite a different mood surrounding the appearance of Death.
Death is presented as someone who shows kindness and solicitude. Death as a suitor embarks on
a journey with the speaker and the as they pass through different stages of life, from childhood to
adulthood and finally the ending of life and to the realization of mortality. The journey with
death is shown as a source of peace rather than of horror. During their carriage ride together,
they pass children playing, field of grains, and the sunset. When night falls, and the narrator
grows cold, and so Death takes her to a "House" where she can feel comfortable again. Instead of
being something scary, Death acts more like a suitor. This personification allows for a peaceful
transition from life to death. Instead of being an entity to be feared, Death is simply presented as
an inevitable eventual companion.

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