-
Essay / The concept of death in Emily Dickinson's poetry
Are people afraid of death? Without life, there is no death. It is a reality from which we cannot escape. Emily Dickinson seemed to have been afraid of it, but she accepted it. She addressed this topic in two of her famous poems “I Heard the Buzz of a Fly When I Died” and “Because I Couldn't Stop to Die”. The two poems have different ideas about the concept of death. Emily Dickinson defines death as eternal. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Dickinson wrote "I Heard the Buzz of a Fly When I Died" in 1862. In this poem, the narrator is dying and she discusses the process. of death. She says "The calm in the room was like the calm in the air - between the risings of the storm -". Emily mentions that she awaits death in a calm environment. During a storm there is thunder and lightning and once it stops the air becomes calm and resumes. She explains: “The eyes around – had wrung them out –.” There were no more tears to cry. The people around her accepted or were at peace with her death. Around 1863, Emily wrote: “Because I could not stop to die.” The main theme of the poem is that people cannot avoid death. In this poem, she passes a school and fields of grain. These images show that life goes on even if she is no longer here to see it. She said, “I first assumed that the horses’ heads were turned toward eternity.” Death is like a flower: if it is not watered or exposed to direct sunlight, it dies. New flowers will still grow and life itself will continue after death. The two poems have similarities and differences. The main theme is death, but there is a different belief as to what happens after a person dies. In the first poem, the narrator waits to die but is interrupted by a fly and she passes into the void. She says: “And then Windows crashed – and then I couldn’t see –.” She didn't see anything. Was she saying there is no life after death? She describes death as a slow death and one for which no one is ready or prepared. In her second poem, she emerges from death in a carriage while looking toward a new beginning in her life. She describes “the carriage held but only by ourselves and immortality”. Death is considered endless and it gives a positive outlook. She makes it seem like death isn't bad or cruel all the time. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Personalized Essay Death can happen at any time. Emily Dickinson seemed fascinated or interested in death. She spent a lot of time in one room and was also shy, quiet, and isolated, which could have contributed to this theory. She did not come into contact with other people. Everyone has a different experience and sees death from different perspectives. Death is inevitable. We must make the most of the time we have on earth.