Stop For Death Figurative Language

The idea of dying, and death itself is something that one normally has dread for, yet for some it is acceptable as life. In Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Because I could not stop for Death,” the speaker depicts her encounter with Death as being part of a rather pleasant experience. To help shift away the negative perspective generally attributed to death, Dickinson creates an intimate connection between the subject and the speaker through the implementation and manipulation of various literary devices. It is through figurative language that Dickinson is capable of transforming an abstract idea such as death, into something that is tangible in nature. the imagery in the poem also creates a contextual platform from which one can derive multiple interpretations that could be attributed …show more content…
The personification of death allows for a direct connection to form between the speaker and the subject. It is generally easier for one to see connections that rely on physical interactions as opposed to connections between abstract ideas. The personification of death allows the reader to see a man, and not just an idea. When the speaker talks about Death in this poem, she also talks about a gentle man. The way the speaker addresses the subject can have a great influence on the way one perceives tone, and the way one perceives tone can influence the way the poem is perceived in its entirety. The speaker in this poem openly accepts death, and it is this acceptance that brings a sense of neutrality to the tone of the poem. To make sense of the purpose of the subject as it relates to the poem, the reader is given contextual cues. One of the contextual cues that relates strongly to the subject of death is the passing of time as seen in lines nine through twelve. Death takes his time, but will eventually deliver to the