Because I could not stop for Death- by Katie Flores

flores788 — 2017-04-03 21:48:48 UTC

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

The meaning of the Poem

flores788 — 2017-04-03 21:54:05 UTC

The poem is about a journey to the after life that death is taking her to. Death is taking her on this passage to her death, even though she is already dead.

Imagery

flores788 — 2017-04-03 22:01:53 UTC

Stanza 3- "

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess – in the Ring –  
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –  
We passed the Setting Sun – "

Line 17-19- "A Swelling of the Ground –
The Roof was scarcely visible"

Figurative language

flores788 — 2017-04-03 22:21:16 UTC

Metaphor- line 18 "A swelling of the ground"

Line 4- Immortality= time
Line 8 - His Civility

Sound devices

flores788 — 2017-04-03 22:29:41 UTC

Each seconds and fourth line of each stanza there is a slant rhyme.

Line 18 and 20 there's repetition with the word "ground".

There's a perfect rhyme in the beginning of the poem.

Title of the Poem

flores788 — 2017-04-03 22:42:28 UTC

The title we gave the poem was "a journey through life"

Discussion Question

flores788 — 2017-04-03 22:43:28 UTC

Do you think you see the beauty or the worst of your life, before you die?

Irregular Capitalization/dashes for emphasis

flores788 — 2017-04-03 22:44:28 UTC

Line 5- "The Carriage" in which the dead people are on.
Line 8- "His Civility"
Line 11- "Fields of Gazing Grain"

Annotations

flores788 — 2017-04-03 23:07:56 UTC

Line 18-20 " A swelling of the Ground- The Roof was scarcely visible- The cornice-in the ground-"
The whole section is talking about the grave.

Notes

flores788 — 2017-04-03 23:14:14 UTC

Line 21-22 "Since then- 'tis Centuries-and yet Feels shorter than the Day"

She died centuries ago but she feels like it was only a couple days.

G

2017-06-03 00:15:22 UTC