1、BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeathHekindlystoppedformeTheCarriageheldbutjustOurselvesAndImmortality.WeslowlydroveHeknewnohasteAndIhadputawayMylaborandmyleisuretoo,ForhisCivilityBecause I could not stop for DeathBecauseIcouldnotstopforDeathWepassedtheSchool,whereChildrenstroveAtRecessintheRingWepassedtheFi
2、eldsofGazingGrainWepassedtheSettingSunOrratherHepassedUsTheDewsdrewquiveringandchillForonlyGossamer,myGownMyTippetonlyTulleBecauseIcouldnotstopforDeathWepausedbeforeaHousethatseemedASwellingoftheGroundTheRoofwasscarcelyvisibleTheCorniceintheGroundSincethentisCenturiesandyetFeelsshorterthantheDayIfir
3、stsurmisedtheHorsesHeadsWeretowardEternityBecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath oneofthemostfamouswomenpoetsinAmerica Shebeganwritingpoetryattheageof20,butmostofherearlypoemhasbeenlost. EmilyDickinsonsinterestindeathwasremarkable,leavingmorethan500poemsonthesubjectofthedeath. Manyofherpoemswerehalfrhymes.Int
4、roduction of the poetEmilyDickinsononeofthemostsignificantpoemofEmilyDickinsonintermsofthesubjectofdeath,oneofEmilyDickinsonsmostfamousworks.freeandeasy,showedusEmilysmeditationaboutdeath,explorationtolifeanddesireforeternity.Introduction of the poemBecauseIcouldnotstopforDeathDickinson describes “D
5、eath” as a gentleman driving a carriage, who is endowed with favorable human attributes of being kind. And “Immortality” is also a passenger in the carriage.The carriage trundles along at a pretty relaxed pace . Being content with Deaths politeness & charm, the woman is distracted from her work and
6、felt completely at ease with the gentleman.Dickinson is painting a scene of what they are riding by: the School, the Fields of Gazing Grains & the Setting Sun, which respectively symbolizes her early life, the middle stage of life & the final stage of life. With the sun going down, the dew is settin
7、g in. Not warmly wearing, she is getting chilly. She is restating that the phases of her life have passed her by.Dickinson describes grave as a House. Such description indicates that the poet is quite comfortable or at ease with the location.Though centuries have passed, the poet still feels it just
8、 happened yesterday. With reference of the Horses Heads, we readers will be reminded of the vision mentioned in the 1st stanza.Analysis of the poemAt the Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Phonological Level 1th & 2nd & 3rd stanzas5th & 6th stanzas1st & 3rd lines 8 syllables2nd & 4th
9、lines 6 syllables1st & 3rd lines 8 syllables2nd & 4th lines 6 syllablesPoets feeling towards Death changes the mood of the poem changes4th stanzachangeHymn-like meterSlant Rhyme &Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelThewholepoemwithfourfeetiambicandthreefeetiambicappea
10、rsanalternatelayout,andtherhymeisnotstrict.This“notinstrict”rhyme,contrastingtothetraditionalmodeloftherhythmofpoetrycreation,reflectsDickinsonscreativerebellionandmodernity.Phonological LevelthirdunstressedunstressedsecondstressedEach LineThe firstsyllablefourthstressedExample:.1.2.3.4Be CAUSE | I
11、COULD | not STOP | for DEATH,.1.2.3He KIND | ly STOPPED | for ME;Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelBecause I could not stop for Death He kindly stopped for me The Carriage held but just Ourselves And Immortality.Phonological Levele, y (the end): Off-rhymee (the begi
12、nning): alliteration el: internal rhymeAt the Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelThe rich use of the poem rhyme is abound of changes, increasing the beauty of the musicality of poetry to read catchy, adding the language of poetry appreciation value and giving the reader a unique aesthetic te
13、mperament and interest.Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Graphological Level 20 dashes (instead of a comma or a period)sense the poets complicated thoughts writhing in her brainpause the poem and leave space to think over and to go on Functionsattract the rea
14、ders attention to the poets way to Eternity Were toward Eternityimply that the poem is never ending, just as eternity is never endingGraphological LevelCapitalized WordsDeath, He, We, Us, Ourselves, Immortality, His Civility, Setting Sun, Eternity, etc.concerning about the theme : Death & Immortalit
15、yThey will certainly stand out & appear in front of the readers eyes repeatedly;slow the readers down a little, making us pause to consider the word rather than breezing through the poem; Graphological LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Lexical Levelsimple & plain wordsmor
16、e solemn & serious words.labor, leisure, School, Grain, SunImmortality, Civility, Eternitydescribe the world of livingdescribe Death & ImmortalityImmortalityEternity(1st stanza, last line)(last stanza, last line)The arrival of Death is not unpleasant; Death means EternityLexical LevelAt the Phonolog
17、ical LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Grammatical Levelomit the predicateOr ratherHe passed UsThe Dews drew quivering and chillFor only Gossamer, my GownMy Tippetonly TulleFor my Gown was only Gossamer my Tippet was only Tullechange the order of the Predicative and Subjectimply the arrival of th
18、e Death makes the atmosphere chilly and coldWith the coming of the Death, fear and unease befall the poet.the poets temporal existence merges with the spiritual universeGrammatical LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Phonological LevelAt the Semantic LevelMetaphorAlliterationImagismPersonificationA
19、naphoraPersonificationHe kindly stopped for meHe slowly droveHe knew no hasteFor His CivilityDeathImmortality a gentleman with favorable characteristics: kind & polite Death is a thing not to be afraid of but to embrace.The Carriage held but just OurselvesAnd Immortality. a third passenger in the ca
20、rriage Death in body walks along with Immortality in mind. Death, not the end, but as a step on the way to eternal lifeAlliteration labor & leisure Recess & Ring Gazing & Grain Setting & Sun Dews & drew Gossamer & Gown Tippet & Tulle Horse & Head We passed the School, where Children stroveAt Recessi
21、n the RingWe passed the Fields of Gazing GrainWe passed the Setting Sun depict a continuity of scenes, thereby emphasizing the notion of never-endingness.Metaphor works as a process to review dying memories & displays a lifelong journey one would experienceimplies the passage of birth, growth, matur
22、ity & deaththe carriage ride the cycle of life life is a journeythe Children young agesthe Gazing Grain productive years of ones lifethe Setting Sun the end of the day the end of lifea House a grave implies that the poet feels comfortable about the Death Anaphora the speaker is passing through every
23、thing that she has already lived through. giving the readers a sense of life going byWe passed the School, where Children stroveAt Recessin the RingWe passed the Fields of Gazing GrainWe passed the Setting Sun work to mimic the slow progression of the carriage.We readers can almost hear the echo clo
24、mping of the horse, thus feeling part of the journey instead of just being outside observers . ImagismI first surmised the Horses HeadsWere toward Eternitythe last image before her deathremind the readers of the carriage mentioned at the start of the poem It seems to turn back the time to the beginn
25、ing.life is a recycling process; death is the beginning of another journey of life.the carriage ride, the School, the Fields of Gazing Grains, the Setting Sun, a Swelling of the Ground, etc.deathdeath is nothing to be feared since it is a natural part of the endless cycle of nature.death is only the beginning, because to die is to go on another journey. Although death takes one away from the earthly world, there is still something to look forward to when one dies: Eternal life.Immortality death means eternity.
