Comparison Of Because I Could Not Stop For Death And Mid-Term Break

‘Because I Could Not Stop For Death’ by Emily Dickinson and ‘Mid- Term Break’ by Seamus Heaney are both poems that use an array of literary devices and techniques in order to let the reader understand the significance of the poem and their theme— death. Although both poem’s themes may be about death, the different techniques used by Dickinson and Heaney should allow the readers to comprehend each poet’s personal perception of the theme.

In ‘Because I Could Not Stop For Death’, Dickinson takes advantage of the usage of dashes. Not only is it used to accommodate a rhythm when the reader is reading it, it also stresses on the significance and identity of eternity, especially in the last line of the poem, “Were toward Eternity—”, as it ends with …show more content…
Snowdrops and candles are said to be placed on his bedside. These two objects are known to symbolize calmness and serenity.‘Snowdrop’ is a type of flower that blossoms then wilts remarkably quickly; this could have been used to perhaps represent his brother’s short life, as he died when he was quite young. Candles on the other hand, when lit, signify remembrance for the deceased, and promote reflection; they are lit in order to let people know that their memory continues living on, even if they are not. His brother is described as “wearing a poppy bruise” to represent his wound. A poppy is a flower that symbolizes remembrance. As it is red, it reflects the red bruise on his temple, from the impact of the car that struck him. It also symbolizes sleep, because of the opium that is extracted and used as a sedative, and death, because of their blood colored petals. Heaney himself is an Irish Catholic, and they generally avoid wearing poppies as a sign of rememberance, so, the poppy in the poem could represent the conflict that he was feeling at that time, seeing his brother like that. Flowers generally symbolize peace and respect, and to have had two types of flowers used in the poem represents the innocence and purity that was lost, as well as the unfairness of it all when he …show more content…
This incorporates the idea of male courtship as he waited for her to finish off her work before whisking her away into the carriage, promoting the ‘Civility’ and human-like quality of ‘Death’. To summarize, each poet’s perception of death is explicitly differently, due to the techniques they applied. Dickinson’s perception of death is that it is something kind and compassionate, something that we should open our arms for, as it symbolizes a new beginning. Contrary to Heaney, she presents it as a slow and serene entity, while Heaney presents it as something hasty and unanticipated for. He looks at death as if it’s a merciless monster, unfairly taking away lives, regardless of who they