Adah Price-Dickinson

Emily Dickinson: Because I could not stop for death


Becuase 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-

My job in our literature circle was to analyze some of the character's reactions to Ruth May's death. My favortie one though was that of Adah. She opens her response by quoting her favortie poet, Emily Dickonson, "Beacuse I could not stop for death-He kindly stopped for me." At first after reading Dickonsons poem, I thought it was the recirpocal of events that had been happening in the book. Now I see however that this opening line in particular expresses the surprise and abrubt halt of Ruth May's life. The rest of the poem goes on to say how the carriage led by death himself passed through differenct terms of life. Ruth May seemed to be the only character in the story unwilling to give up the ghost, to succumb to the dread of the Congo, that leads the rest of her family towards the end (death) as they complain about their non existent fellowship, frizzy hair, and lack of food. Ruth May embaraces the culture, the people, and she is the one that doesnt stop for death, so he kindly stops for her.