1. HAYLEY VOGLER MRS. GOTTFRIED SEPTEMBER 2011 ENGLISH 3 Who is Emily Dickinson? “A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day.” -Emily Dickinson

2. Biography Born in 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA Spent one year away from home to attend Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (in South Hadley) Rarely left house Rarely had visitors Friends, family, and acquaintances had large impact on her poetry 1860s: Lived in almost complete isolation from outside world, besides letters and literature

3. Emily Dickinson

4. Family Father: Edward Dickinson  State and national politics Mother: Emily Dickinson Sister: Lavina Dickinson  Also lived in isolation  Intellectual companion of Emily’s Brother: Austin Dickinson  Law school; later became an attorney  Married Susan Gilbert  Intellectual companion of Emily’s

5. Biography On June 16, 1874, Edward Dickinson (father) suffered a stroke and died. Wrote that “His heart was pure and terrible and I think no other like it exists” about her father. On June 15, 1875, (a year later) Emily's mother also suffered from a stroke but did not die. Mournful from her mother's increasing physical as well as mental strain, Emily wrote that "Home is so far from Home".

6. Importance All of Emily Dickinson’s poems had meaningful themes and lots of beautiful literary devices. Her poems brought to light many issues and also helped readers to understand how much they took for granted Because Emily was isolated most of her life and never had a family of her own, she had all the time in the world to write about important issues, religion, family, and the things that truly make life beautiful

7. Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickenson 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

8. Meaning Death is kind and is never truly frightening, as he was the one to pick her up when she was too buy to go to him Death is kind and pays individual attention to her “Immortality” is her goal, seeing as it is the only other person in the carriage

9. Explanation Speaker is communicating after she has died Personified journey with death from life to afterlife. Death was slow and civil, taking a long time to “drive” “Pause” at temporary home (grave), but only a pause because it is not her final destination (heaven)

10. Poetic Devices Personification: Personification: death as a human Slant rhyme: Slant rhyme: “He kindly stopped for me” and “immortality.” Hyperbole: Hyperbole: “Since then- 'tis centuries and yet, feels shorter than the Day.” (eternity) Symbol: Symbol: "We passed the Setting Sun” (where sun is her life)

11. Emily Dickinson

12. Works Cited “Emily Dickinson.” Poets.org. Academy of American Poets. 2011. http://poets.org/. 25 Sept. 2011. “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” Famouspoetsandpoems.com. 2011. http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/emily_dic kinson/poems/5214/. 27 Sept. 2011. “Because I Could Not Stop for Death Analysis.” Shmoop. 2011. http://www.shmoop.com/because-i- could-not-stop-for-death/analysis.html/. 27 Sept. 2011