Because I Could Not Stop For Death… He Kindly Stopped For Me Poem By: Emily Dickinson PowerPoint By: Christina Dadaian and Jordan Corrado

Transcendentalism in American Literature Saw the need for intellectual companions and interests A friend is one before whom I may think aloud. (Emerson) True friendship can afford true knowledge. It does not depend on darkness and ignorance. (Thoreau) The only way to have a friend is to be one. (Emerson) The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship. (Emerson) Believed in the dignity of hard work For more than five years I maintained myself thus solely by the labor of my hands, and I found, that by working about six weeks in a year, I could meet all the expenses of living. (Thoreau) The reward of a thing well done, is to have done it. (Emerson) To fill the hour—that is happiness. (Emerson) Believed in civil disobedience and individualism Things do not change; we change. (Thoreau) I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. (Thoreau) Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.  (Thoreau) Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. (Emerson) We boil at different degrees. (Emerson) Emphasized the importance of a relationship with God God enters by a private door into every individual. (Emerson) God himself culminates in the present moment, and will never be more divine in the lapse of all the ages. (Thoreau)

Poem Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality. We slowly drove – He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility – We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess – in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – We passed the Setting Sun – Or rather – He passed us – The Dews drew quivering and chill – For only Gossamer, my Gown – My Tippet – only Tulle – We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground – The Roof was scarcely visible – The Cornice – in the Ground – Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity – Emily Dickinson

TPCASTT Title When I looked at the first part of the title (Because I Could Not Stop for Death) I thought that the poem would be gloomy and death-filled but when I read the second part (He Kindly Stopped For Me) I thought that the author may have a different view on death because she describes it’s actions as kind. Paraphrase In the first stanza, the author is “kindly” picked up in a carriage by a personified Death. In the second stanza, the author describes Death as civil and she talks about putting everything aside and going slowly in the carriage. In the third stanza, they passed a school and a field of grain as the sun set. In the fourth stanza, the author describes her clothes as thin and fragile. In the fifth stanza, the author and Death approach a “house” which is really a grave. In the sixth stanza, the author describes time as passing quickly and peacefully as she heads towards eternity. Connotation Beyond the literal, Because I Could Not Stop for Death…, is about Dickinson’s journey through life and her view on death. She uses words with alternate meanings to convey her message. The Carriage represents her travel, passing the school refers to leaving adolescence, setting sun represents the end of life, and the swelling of the ground refers to her grave. Attitude In the poem, Dickinson’s attitude toward death isn’t fearful, but accepting. She indicates that death is inevitable and, instead of running from it, she embraces it. Dickinson wants the readers to have the same feelings towards death as she does and encourages being accepting of things you cannot change. Shifts There is a shift from the second to the third stanza where the author goes from talking about being picked up by Death (or dying) to traveling to the grave. Dickenson shifts from talking about being taken by death to looking back on her life starting from adolescence, as described by children at school, to her death, the setting sun. There is another shift between the third and fourth stanza where she goes from talking about the ride to the grave to arriving at the grave. She uses the setting sun to represent the end of life then shifts to talk about death. The mood shifts suddenly from the beauty of the setting sun to the cold darkness of death. The last shift is between the fifth and sixth stanza where she goes from describing the grave to describing the time she spends in the grave. Dickinson shifts from talking about her grave to reminiscing on her death which represents eternity. The mood goes from being very dark to being a much more positive once Dickenson reaches her realization on the inevitable and eternal death.. After analyzing the poem , the theme of its tittle appears to relate to Dickinson’s relationship with death and how death is inevitable. Because death is referred to as being kind , it shows that Dickenson has a close relationship with death and that she embraces it whether than try to avoid it. Theme The theme of this poem is the inevitable and everlasting death and Emily Dickinson’s relationship with it. This poem is saying to embrace death rather than run from it, and that death is eternal.

Transcendental Characteristics In, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death, He Kindly Stopped for Me,” Emily Dickinson expresses transcendental tenets. Theses transcendental ideas center on Dickinson’s individualism in her unusual lack of fear towards dying, and her overall Quest for truth. Transcendentalists refused to conform to the everyday society; instead they followed their own intuition to achieve happiness. Dickinson’s optimism and her acceptance towards death separates her from other people of this time. Also she reveals that she believes in an afterlife in stanza six where she is looking back on her death. She believes in eternity and therefore must believe in some sort of afterlife.

Make the Connection The transcendental tenets expressed in this poem by Dickenson connect to today’s society. Today’s society focuses more on the community as a whole and not solely on the individual. People lack individualism and rarely think for themselves. Also in our society, people have begun to rely very heavily on technology and have started to ignore the importance of being self-reliant. By giving up on believing in a higher power and an afterlife people have given up their quest for truth and no longer find the importance of the individual.