Two Ideas Essay, Research Paper
Two Poems. Two Ideas. One Author
Two of Emily Dickinson’s poems, “Because I Could Not Stop For Death”
and “I Heard A Fly Buzz-When I Died,” are both about one of life’s few
certainties: death. However, that is where the similarities end.
Although both poems were created less than a year apart by the same
poet, their ideas about what lies after death differ. In one, there
appears to be life after death, but in the other there is nothing. Only
a number of clues in each piece help us determine which poem believes in
what.
In the piece, “Because I Could Not Stop For Death,” we are being told
the tale of a woman who is being taken away by Death. This is our first
indication that this poem believes in an afterlife. In most religions,
where there is a grim reaper like specter, this entity will deliver a
person’s soul to another place, usually a heaven or a hell.
In the fifth stanza, Death and the woman pause before “…a House that
seemed A Swelling of the Ground- The Roof was scarcely visible- The
Cornice in the Ground-” (913). Although the poem does not directly say
it, it is highly probable that this grave is the woman’s own. It is
also possible the woman’s body already rests beneath the soil in a
casket. If this is at all accurate, then her spirit or soul may be the
one who is looking at the “house.” Spirits and souls usually mean there
is an afterlife involved.
It isn’t until the sixth and final stanza where the audience obtains
conclusive evidence that “Because I Could Not Stop For Death” believes
in an afterlife. The woman recalls how it has been “…Centuries- and
yet feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses’ Heads were
toward Eternity-” (913). To the woman, it has been a few hundred years
since Death visited her, but to her, it has felt like less than 24
hours. Since the body cannot live on for hundreds of years, then it must
be none other then the soul who has come to the realization that so much
time has passed. The final part with the horses refers to the horse
drawn carriage the woman was riding in when she passed away. In those
two final lines, the horses seem to be leading her into Eternity,
possibly into an afterlife.
It is just the exact opposite is Dickinson’s other poem, “I Heard A
Fly Buzz-When I Died,” With this particular piece of literature, the
clues which point to the disbelief in an afterlife are fewer and not as
blatant, but are all still present. In this poem, a woman is lying in
bed with her family standing all around waiting for her eventual death.
While the family is waiting for her to pass on, she herself is waiting
for “…the King…” (914). No, we’re not talking about Elvis, but
instead this King is some sort of omnipotent being, a god. Later as the
woman dies, her eyes (or windows as they are referred to in the poem)
fail, then she “…could not see to see-” (914). When she says this,
what she seems to mean is she could not see any of the afterlife or
Kings she expected to be there. The woman’s soul drifted off into
nothingness with no afterlife to travel to.
To conclude, the beliefs of the two Dickinson poems in regards to life
after death differ significantly. In one, life does exist, in the other
it does not. To determine which poem believes in what, one must dig
through the clues in each.
-Visit stormloader/freereports/main.htm for more free
reports and essays-
Другие работы по теме:
Poems Essay Research Paper SnowAs the soft
Poems Essay, Research Paper Snow As the soft snow covers the earth like a blanket A supreme calmness comes over me Though the weather is cold i feel it not For the warmth of my heart is burning like a furnace
Innate Ideas Rene Descartes And John Locke
Essay, Research Paper Throughout the passage of time, philosophers have written and discussed many topics in philosophy. Sometimes, these philosophers agree on ideas or sometimes they make their own assumptions. There are two philosophers who had different ideas concerning where innate ideas come from and how we get these types of ideas.
Parent Relationships Essay Research Paper In many
Parent Relationships Essay, Research Paper In many of the works of literature I have read in this particular class, I noticed that many of the characters are parents. Which leads me to ask the following questions? How are parent/child relationships represented in early literature and how do these representations compare with representations, either real or literary, in our society?
Racsim Essay Research Paper Racism is a
Racsim Essay, Research Paper Racism is a very big issue. I think most people say things without realising they are being racist. This doesn t excuse their behaviour but most people
E E Cummings Essay Research Paper Edward
E E Cummings Essay, Research Paper Edward Estlin Cummings was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 14th, 1894. He was a poet, playwright, prose writer, and painter whose vision found embodiment in an array of artistic devices, where typography, punctuation, grammar, syntax, diction, imagery, and rhythm were often pushed to their limits.
Drama And Literature Of Early Greece Essay
, Research Paper In early Greece, most drama and poetry grew from Athenian celebrations honoringthe god of wine, Dionysus. Greek plays were performed outdoors to an all maleaudience. The plays were performed in theaters that were built into hillsides. All ofthe actors were also male, and they had a chorus which explained the play as itwent.
Cavalier And Metaphysical Poetrys Similarities And Differences
Essay, Research Paper The seventeenth century lyric poems, such as Robert Herrick?s Cavalier poem ?Counsel to Girls,? and Andrew Marvell?s metaphysical poem ?To His Coy Mistress? are similar in many ways; yet also contrast in some aspects. These poems of love and life can be summarized in the quote, ?Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still afyling?? from ?Counsel to Girls.? This quote embodies the theme of Carpe Diem shared in these poems.
Millay Vs Cummings Essay Research Paper Millay
Millay Vs Cummings Essay, Research Paper Millay vs Cummings “Lament” by Edna St. Vincent Millay and “Since Felling Is First by e.e. Cummings are two very different poems. The poems are diiferent in style and tone.
Robert Herrick Essay Research Paper Robert Herrick
Robert Herrick Essay, Research Paper Robert Herrick and Andrew Marvell are both well know seventeenth century poets. Herrick’ s “to the Virgins to Make Much of Time” and Marvell’ s “To his Coy Mistress” have basically the same themes which are that one should not waste time, one should not be coy, and one should not yearn for a different age.
Death Essay Research Paper Many poems are
Death Essay, Research Paper Many poems are written about death. The two poets William Cullen Bryant and Emily Dickinson were very influential trancendental writers. Bryant writing Thanatopsis
William Blake- The Tiger And The Lamb
Essay, Research Paper Many poems written by the same author often have similar themes. The authors usually believe in something very strongly and their poems usually reflect such a nature. Sometimes poets reflect aspects of their personal life in their poems. In the poems “The Lamb” and “The Tiger”, by William Blake, the poet discusses similar themes in both.
Chinese Poetry Essay Research Paper Although the
Chinese Poetry Essay, Research Paper Although the Chinese poetry I encountered was relatively short, their significant was not at all compromised. It did not matter that these poems were written hundreds of years ago they felt relevant to me. They reminded me of what should be a priority of life, finding inner peace.
Kenyon And Hall
"Everlasting Love" Essay, Research Paper The poems that are depicted in the book by Hall and the book by Kenyon are different in their topics and expression of their ideas. Though these poets seem
The Fish Essay Research Paper Brad M
The Fish Essay, Research Paper Brad M. Rader English 1100 Section 124 Dr. Gene Miller March 10, 2000 ?The Fish? Poems to me are an expression of a person?s outlook on a particular scene or subject. By reading a poem a person can be enlightened and take an understanding of what they are actually reading. In ?The Fish?, I personally was caught up in all the excitement because I know what it feels like to catch a really gigantic fish.
Marlowe And Raleigh Essay Research Paper LoveThe
Marlowe And Raleigh Essay, Research Paper Love The two poems written by Raleigh and Marlowe are interesting. Marlowe s poem, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, basically propositions a woman to sleep with a man, where Raleigh s, The Nymph s Reply to the Shepherd, responds negatively. Marlowe s poem is a Shepherd asking a nymph for favors.
Ideas Have Consequences Essay Research Paper Ideas
Ideas Have Consequences Essay, Research Paper Ideas have consequences. This is a statement that can be proven, whatever time period you look at. As far back in time as history books go, great people and nations have had seemingly great ideas, which when implemented, resulted in mass disaster.
John Donne Essay Research Paper Although the
John Donne Essay, Research Paper Although the main focus of many of his poems is death, Donne’s ego seems to steal the spotlight. In Holy Sonnet 10, he manages to defend humankind against death, possibly because he feels he cannot be defeated by God. As with most themes in his work, however, he often changes his opinion, leaving a confused reader to attempt to find his real belief about death.
Two Poems By Emily Dickinson Essay Research
Paper Emily Dickinson wrote many poems in her lifetime. She writes two of my favorite poems. They are: “I heard a Fly buzz when I died” and “Because I could not stop for Death”. They both have similarities and differences from each other.
Fatboy Essay Research Paper Through my knowledge
Fatboy Essay, Research Paper Through my knowledge of Wordsworth s poetry I understand what he has written and the hidden messages he has encrypted into his poetry. It is remarkable on how he structured his poems, what language, what inspirations and themes he wrote about. In The Solitary Reaper and Strange Fits Of Passion I Have Know Wordsworth has combined the feelings and emotion of the human body and mind into a themes that runs through the veins of all or most of his poems, NATURE, and his sister LUCY.
Edward Taylor Essay Research Paper I IntroductionA
Edward Taylor Essay, Research Paper I. Introduction A. Biographical info on author 1. born in LeiceSterchire in 1642 2. Came to New England in 1668 3. graduated from Harvard I 1671 where he studied divinity
The Fish Poem Essay Research Paper Often
The Fish (Poem) Essay, Research Paper Often therer are poems that touch our lives and leave a lasting impression with us. “The Fish,” by Elizabeth Bishop, is one of these poems. A critic has said that it is one “of the most calmly beautiful, deeply sympathetic poems for our time.” Why wouldn’t it be? With the great details and phenomenal imagery she uses. “The Fish” leaves you moved and warmhearted toward the fish as well as toward life.
Walt Whitman Essay Research Paper walt whitmanA
Walt Whitman Essay, Research Paper walt whitman A World of Politics Thesis: Walt Whitman was a man who used his thoughts on political issues concerning the Civil War within his writings because of many experiences
Special Relativity Essay Research Paper ESPECIALLY 2
Special Relativity Essay, Research Paper ESPECIALLY … … of Hardy’s Poems as Seen through the characters” is a study concerning Hardy’s capability of presenting irony of situation in his poetry. The analysis deals …
Reflection Essay Essay Research Paper My Reflection
Reflection Essay Essay, Research Paper My Reflection EssayBeing the billionth paper that I wrote in this class, I thought my observational essay was pretty good. It had decent wording in it, consisted of many different techniques of writing, and was just overall well written.To write this paper, I started a week in advance.
William Wordsworth Essay Research Paper Wordsworths Way
William Wordsworth Essay, Research Paper Wordsworth?s Way of Explaining His Past ?William Wordsworth, English poet, one of the post accomplished and influential of England?s romantic poets, whose theories and style created a new tradition in poetry ? ( Microsoft Encarta 1). Wordsworth began writing poetry when he was still in school, but it wasn?t until 1793 that any of his poems were published. ?Wordsworth?s political and intellectual sympathies underwent a transformation after 1800.
Basics On Keats Essay Research Paper John
Basics On Keats Essay, Research Paper -John Keats was born in 1795 and died in 1821 -John Keats was born in Moorfield, England -John Keats had two brothers, George and Tom, and a sister Fanny
Lyrical Poems Essay Research Paper Lyrical poems
Lyrical Poems Essay, Research Paper Lyrical poems on the other hand can be compared to a painting in which society is depicted, but has also been done so in a manner which serves the authors/painters point of view or their own personal agenda. The painter is not painting still life, but instead an abstract portrait of society through which the reader must filter fact from opinion.
Carl Sandburg Essay Research Paper Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg Essay, Research Paper Carl Sandburg was unique compare to many other poets. All of the poems that he wrote were short and straight to the point. You would not find any poems that he
What Is Poetry Essay Research Paper I
What Is Poetry? Essay, Research Paper I think poetry is a part of everyone. It can express fellings and emotion. Some people write poems to express their feelings or just because they like and
Whitman
’s Democracy Essay, Research Paper Whitman’s Democracy “I speak the pass-word primeval, I give the sign of democracy, By God! I will Accept nothing which all cannot have their counterpart
Truth And Belief Essay Research Paper Truth
Truth And Belief Essay, Research Paper Truth and Belief James is a believer in the pragmatic theory of truth. He draws a relationship between the good and the true. The true is not an separate entity from good, but is one of the species of good.
Love Poems Essay Research Paper All That
Love Poems Essay, Research Paper All That You Are by Steven Duke Poem No. 41993 Everything that you are, Makes me wonder how it’s true, That I?ve found everything I have,