Because I could not stop for Death
Emily Dickinson
Class 12
Alternative English

Because I could not stop for Death Emily Dickinson

1. Which country does Emily Dickinson belong to?
   Ans:- Emily Dickinson belongs to America.
2. What is the ‘house’ referred to in the fourth stanza?
   Ans:- The ‘House’ referred ‘grave’ in the fourth stanza.
3. What does the word ‘immortality” mean?
   Ans:- The word ‘immortality’ means eternal life.
4. Where does the carriage stop?
   Ans:- The carriage stops before the grave.
5. Describe the scenes witnessed by the speaker as she passes by

during her carriage ride with Death?
Ans:- The scenes witnessed by the speaker as she passes by during

her carraige ride with death are – in a school where children were

playing games, at the racess, the fields of the grains and the setting

sun.

6. Which words are used to describe Death in the poem?
   Ans:- The words that are used to describe death in the poem are-

immortality, carriage, setting Sun, eternity.

7. What is symbolic about the carriage in the poem?
   Ans:- The carriage in the poem symbolises the journey from life to

death and the after life.

8. Why does Dickinson describe death as being kind and civil in the

poem?
Ans:- The poem portrays death as a gentlemen who picks up the

speaker in a carriage for a leisurely drive. The *emegery used

throughout the poem convey a sense of acceptance and inevitability.

9. What is the role of ‘immortality’ in the poem?
   Ans:- The role of immortality in the poem represents the eternal

nature of the spirit and the continuation of existance beyond death.

10. What is the significance of the ‘setting sun’ in the poom?
    Ans:- The setting sun describes the end of the day and arrival of new

day after it. The speaker’s sun is setting and she is leaving her

earthly existance and get into the phase of another life. When the

peot passed the setting sun which symbolises death, the speaker

becomes aware of her own mortality and the end of life and the

arrival of death.

11. How does Dickinson indicate the impression of the grave?
    Ans:- In the poem, ‘Because I could not stop for Death’ by Emily

Dickinson, the empression of the grave is indicated through various

poetic divices and emegery. The speaker says that she has lured by

death, who places her in “a house that seem/ a swelling of the

ground/, a roof that is scarcely visible/ a cornice that seems to be in

the ground”. This imagery suggests the burial side or the speaker’s

final resting place, creating the impression of the grave.

12. What is the main idea of the poem ‘Because I could not stop for

Death’?
Ans:- The main idea of the poem ‘Because I could not stop for Death’

is the portray of Death as an inevitable and natural part of life. It

suggests that Death is not a choice but an universal experience that

all individuals must eventually face. The poem explores the journey

of the speaker with death as they passed through different stages of

life, from childhood to adulthood and finally to the realization of

mortality. It presents Death not as something to be feared or avoided

but as a companion that guides us towards eterenity. It also tells us

about the immortality and eternal nature of human spirits.

13. How is death personified in the poem ‘Because I could not stop

for Death?
Ans:- In the poem ‘Because I could not stop for death’ by Emily

Dickinson, death is personified as a kind and patient gentlement who

accompanise the speaker on a carriage ride. Through this

personification, death is portrayed as a figure with human like

qualities. Death is portrayed as polite and considerate figure who

‘kindly stopped’ for the speaker. The word ‘kindly’ implies the death’s

intention is not to harm or frighten the speaker rather to offer comfort

and guidence in the journey towards the after life.
The personification of death contributes to the unique

perspective on mortality. It challenges conventional portrayal of

death as a terrifying and grim figure. Instead, death in this poem

depicted as a calm and currious presence, emphasizing the idea that

death is an inevitable part of life. By personifying death, Dickinson

was the reader to engage with the concept of mortality and to

consider the acceptance of death as a natural transition rather than

something to be feared.

14. Comment on the significance of the title of the poem ‘Because I

could not stop for Death’.
Ans:- The title of the poem ‘Because I could mot stop for Death’ is

significant in several ways. When we see the title, it immediately sets

the tone for the exploration of death and mortality with in the poem.

The title emphasizes the personification of Death as a prominent

figure in the poem. As she said she could not stop for Death so

Death itself came to her to take her to the eternal life.
The use of word “Because” suggests that the speaker had

a choice or agency in the matter, but circumstances prevented them

for from stopping for Death. This implies that the speaker is not

willingly embracing. Death but rather being compelled or guided by

it.
The use of the first person prespective allows readers to

intimately connect with the speakere’s thoughts, emotions and

observations. It invites readers to empathize with the Speaker’s

contempletion of the life and Death providing a personal and

introspective lens through which the poem is experienced. Overall,

the title explores the theme of inevitability, mortality and the journey

towards Death.