Emily Dickinson's Death Poetry: Imagery and Symbolism

The senses meet the spirit when Emily Dickinson's poetry is examined. The most profound subject other than life — death — is a topic through which Dickinson walks both our senses and our spirit, offering insight or, at the very least, her own deeply considered opinion. The poet's method is haunting and straightforward, a style that allows the reader to "step into" the subject alongside her. Death, an obsession, allows Dickinson to create some of the most commanding poetry that attempts to crack one of life's greatest mysteries. While Dickinson never does crack that mystery, her views and poems remain remarkably unique to this day.

The fact that she tackles such a tough and tender subject indicates her ability as a poet. Death cannot truly be known by the living, but that does not stop the poet from delving into the depths of its meaning. Imagery and symbolism are the tools she utilizes to help us walk with her through this terrain.

We have always heard that life makes an impression on art. Eric Wilson points out that in one of her letters, Dickinson claims that the death of her mother was "benumbing" and "electric" (Wilson). Here we see an immediate impact on Dickinson's life — and poetry. Such a force had to be reckoned with in some way. In addition, Dickinson lived through the Civil War and witnessed death and how it affected others. Wilson notes, "she could not find in science, as could the optimistic natural theologian Hitchcock, unquestionable solutions to mysteries, to the ultimate mystery: death" (Wilson). She did not move away from it but rather walked up to it and reached out to what was there; even if she could only grasp ideas and thoughts, she was not afraid to confront the issue.

One of Dickinson's most popular poems about death is "Because I Could Not Stop for Death." There is probably no more whimsical poem on the subject. Here, the poet places herself in the carriage alongside Death for the last ride of her life. An analysis of this poem uncovers the poet's relaxed attitude toward the subject. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the poem is how the poet takes us with her. Beside her, we can come closer to understanding her attitude toward death. She may not comprehend death completely, but there is no question that she is not afraid of it. This can be seen in her cavalier attitude toward the personified Death. Dickinson casts her unresolved sentiments onto this personification. Her state of mind shifts as death becomes more apparent. We are left with the notion that death is deceitful, among other things, and that it is perfectly natural to be blithely unaware when death comes calling.

The poet expresses no regret, fear, or sadness in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death." The two characters in the poem are equally courteous to one another. For example, we are told, "I had put away / My labor, and my leisure too, / For his civility" (Dickinson, Because I Could Not Stop for Death 6–8). We should also note that the poet is very clear in letting us know that she "could not" stop for death, as opposed to "would not" stop for it. This distinction is significant because the poet is not setting aside any time for death — it arrives regardless.

The poem is also thought-provoking because it raises the question: is death the end? We are introduced to the idea of immortality in that the poet is accompanied by Death, who leads her to the capable hands of Immortality. The structure of the poem reinforces this notion: the first four stanzas symbolize the past and the fifth stanza symbolizes the present. We read:

Since then 't is centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity. (17–20)

This shift opens our minds to the very idea of an afterlife, though she can prove nothing. Allen Tate agrees with this idea, noting that "the content of death eludes explicit definition…she has presented a typical Christian theme in its final irresolution, without making any final statement about it. There is no solution to the problem…only a presentation of it in the full context of intellect and feeling" (Tate qtd. in Bloom 40). Harold Bloom supports this theory, stating that "death and the dead are Dickinson's obsessive subjects" (Bloom, Emily Dickinson 10). "Erotic despair is the authentic burden of 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death,'" according to Bloom, and "death is a surrogate for a lover either renounced or lost to circumstances" (10). "Death's civility remains impeccable; he is the finest gentleman in Amherst…The reader, teased into imagination and into thought, is given the pleasure and the perplexity of unriddling this great lyric of loss" (10).

Imagery also takes a prominent role in this poem. We can almost see the "school where children played" (Dickinson, Because I Could Not Stop for Death 9) as the couple passed "the fields of gazing grain" (11) and the "setting sun" (12). The poet is allowed one last look at life, and the centuries since that ride with Death are declared "shorter than the day" (18), a reference to the brevity of life. The images are powerful because they are brimming with familiar life snapshots. Bloom is quick to point out that even with all of Death's attention, he does not "win Dickinson" (Bloom, The Western Canon 299). We can certainly see this in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death."