Stylistic Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s Poem“Because I could not stop for Death”

Amna Tariq (atlhpk@yahoo.com)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death” stylistically. This analysis is made on different stylistic levels; graphological level, phonological level, morphological level and lexico-syntactic level. All these aspects are helpful to understand the literal and hidden meanings that were used by the poetess to explain her viewpoints regarding the natural phenomenon of death in a very polite manner.

Keywords: Stylistic analysis, graphological, phonological, morphological and lexico-syntactic level.

1. IntroductionStyle and stylistics are interrelated terms. A style is a certain manner, approach or way in which something is said, done, expressed or performed. Style is a tag term. It is not formed consciously. From linguistic orientation it implies to the particular selection of sounds, words and syntactic patterns. The study of style is called stylistics. Stylistics deals with the description of formal features of a text and their functional importance. Short and Candlin (1989) said that stylistics is a linguistic approach to the study of the literary text. The concept of Style is based upon the use of language in different ways. Wales (2001) considers it hard to define these ambiguous terms. 1.1 StyleThe word style has been derived from a Latin word ‘stilus’ which means spelling or writing instrument. The term style bears different connotations that add to its complexities. Leech (1969) believes that the characteristic manner in which a writer expresses him- or herself or the particular way of a literary work, is style. Style studies those components or features of a literary composition which give to it individual stamp and associate it with a particular author and produce a certain effect upon the reader. Style can also be defined as a person’s speech and communicative ability which reflects his social identity such as ethnicity, age, gender and social background. Crystal (1987) also regarded style as a distinctive use of language. Style is the major dimension of linguistic variation. According to Carter (1989) style depends on linguistic levels. Bell (1997) emphasizes that style is an individual speaker’s variety o f speech. Style includes verbal repertoire and social context is its incorporating element. Oloruntoba-Oju (1999) argues that style indicates variety in expression, according to certain social-context. 1.2 StylisticsStylistics concentrates on the style of a literary text. Freeman (1971) describes stylistics as a sub-discipline which started in the second half of the 20th century. The scientific study of literary style and the methods used in written language is stylistics. Turner (1975) describes stylistics as a part of linguistics which concentrates on variations in the most conscious and complex uses of language in literature. The Dictionary of Stylistics describes that the goal of most stylistics is not simply to describe the formal features of texts for their own sake but in order to show their interpretation of the text, or in order to relate literary effects to linguistics causes where there are felt to be relevant. It deals with accurate analysis and account of writing and speech style, by using a specialized vocabulary developed in linguistics. Stylistics attempts to make scientific, methodical, objective and precise analysis. Stylistics is the systematic and scientific study of

literary style. Widdowson (1975) and Carter (1988) agree that stylistics is a bridge between linguistics and literature. It considers the devices used in a language like figures of speech and syntactical patterns.Moreover, stylistics is the study of the linguistic features of a literary text which directly affect the meaning of an utterance. As Verdonk (2002) says that the study of peculiar expression and its purpose in a language is stylistics. 2. Levels of stylistics analysis Following are the levels of stylistics analysis: 2.1. Graphology According to Crystal and Davy (1969) “graphology is the analogous study of a language writing system or orthography as seen in the various kinds of handwriting or topography”. Leech (1969, p.39) claims that graphology exceeds orthography. ―It refers to the whole writing system: punctuation and paragraphing as well as spacing‖.Graphological elements are:PunctuationParagraphing 2.2 PhoneticsPhonetics is the study of speech sounds used in writings. Yule (1996) explains it as the study of speech sounds in general. So the study and classification of speech sounds in general comes under the level of phonetics. 2.3 Phonology It deals with the systematic organization of speech sounds. Lodge (2009) expounds that “phonology is the study of linguistic systems, specially the way in which sound represents the differences of meanings in a language”. The system and patterns of speech in a particular language are the part of phonology. The poetic devices in this level are:RhymeAlliterationConsonanceAssonance

2.4 MorphologyMark and Kirsten (2005, p.1) said that” Morphology refers to the mental system involved in word formation or to the branch of linguistics that deals with words, their internal structure, and how they are formed”. Morphological level deals with the construction of the word by adding prefixes and suffixes to the root words and compounding.

2.5 Lexico-syntax It studies the patterns of words in different linguistic context, on the semantic level in terms of stylistics. It is concerned with the meaning of words, phrases and sentences. According to Tallerman (1998, p.1), "Lexico-Syntactic choices are obtained through devices such as piling of usual collocates, unusual collocates, archaic words, particular parts of speech, metaphor, simile, oxymoron etc". The semantic levels include: metaphor, simile, personification, irony, tone, anaphora, hyperbole, imagery, symbol, allusion, deictic words, collocation, metonymy, synonym, compounding, antithesis, linking words, natural words, old English words.

The lexical elements are:

· Noun· Pronoun· Verb· Adjective· Adverb

3. The poetess and the poem

3.1 Poetess’ Biography Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1830 and lived there all her life. Her grandfather was the founder of Amherst College, and her father Edward Dickinson was a lawyer who served as the treasurer of the college. He also held various political offices. Her mother Emily Norcross Dickinson was a quiet and frail woman. Dickinson went to primary school for four years and then attended Amherst Academy from 1840 to 1847 before spending a year at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. Her education was strongly influenced by Puritan religious beliefs, but Dickinson did not accept the teachings of the Unitarian church attended by her family and remained agnostic throughout her life. Following the completion of her education, Dickinson lived in the family home with her parents and younger sister Lavinia, while her elder brother Austin and his wife Susan lived next door. She began writing verse at an early age, practicing her craft by rewriting poems she found in books, magazines, and newspapers. During a trip to Philadelphia in the early 1850s, Dickinson fell in love with a married minister, the Reverend Charles Wadsworth; her disappointment in love may have brought about her subsequent withdrawal from society. Dickinson experienced an emotional crisis of an undetermined nature in the early 1860s.She didn’t marry anyone and remained unmarried throughout her life. Her traumatized state of mind is believed to have inspired her to write prolifically: in 1862 alone she is thought to have composed over three hundred poems. In that same year, Dickinson initiated a correspondence with Thomas Wentworth Higginson, the literary editor of the Atlantic Monthly magazine. Over the years Dickinson sent nearly one hundred of her poems for his criticism, and he became a sympathetic adviser and confidant, but he never published any of her poems. Dickinson’s isolation further increased when her father died unexpectedly in 1874 and her mother suffered a stroke that left her an invalid. Dickinson and her sister provided her constant care until her death in 1882. Dickinson was diagnosed in 1886 as having Bright’s disease, a kidney dysfunction that resulted in her death in May of that year.

3.2 Introduction of the poemThe poem “Because I could not stop for Death” is one of Dickinson’s five hundred poems that were written by her under the main theme of death. The poem was published posthumously in 1890 in Poems: Series 1, a collection of Dickinson's poems assembled and edited by her friends Mabel Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higginson. The poem was published under the title "The Chariot". It is interesting to note that her tone in regards to death contrasts with that of her time period. Farr states that the people of Dickinson’s era looked at death as being “a skeletal marauder-thief with a scythe and a grimace” (329). Society in the 1800s viewed death as being morbid and evil. Dickinson, on the other hand, made death into being pleasant. She portrays death as being a kind gentleman, perhaps even a suitor, who is taking her out for a ride in a carriage. The theme of the acceptance of death is portrayed throughout the poem in a very light mood. Being a busy person, she is indulged in other matters of life ignoring death. She hasn’t time to stop for death but death, being personified, is so gentle because He himself has approached the poetess. Now, the poetess too shows her polite behavior towards death. Instead of getting frightened, she happily puts away her leisure and labors and they both start their journey towards eternity. During their journey Dickinson uses remarkable imagery when the carriage is passed before the playing children in the ring, fields of gazing grains and the setting Sun. This imagery is somehow used as the symbols of the three stages of man’s life; childhood, mature young age and the old age. She is in her gossamer and gown feeling chill and the carriage paused before a house whose roof is visible. As the poem is written in light tone, so she uses the word “house” metaphorically instead of choosing the word “grave”. In the last stanza there is the sudden transition from past to present. The poetess, being dead, has been here (in grave) for centuries and recalling the journey of death as if it happened just a day before. And that day she first realized that the horses’ heads were towards eternity/ her afterlife as these horses were pulling the carriage in which death came to take the poetess with him. Thus, the poetess in this poem having polite tone expresses the journey of death that is not cruel, horrible or frightening but very kind, gentle and helpful.

3.3 “Because I could not stop for Death”- a lyrical poem

Lyrical poem is a formal type of poem which expresses personal emotions or feelings. "Because I could not stop for Death" is a lyrical poem by Emily Dickinson in which she expresses her ideas and thoughts towards the natural phenomenon of death, taking the death as kind one. She describes the journey of death through her personal feelings and emotions using the power of imagination. These are her own personal feeling and emotions the way she portrays herself as dead person who has experienced death and recalls her past, the whole journey of death. It is composed in six quatrains with the meter alternating between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter. The use of the rhyme by Dickinson too gives this poem a shape of a lyrical poem.

3.4 Title of the poem

Emily Dickinson didn’t write the title of any of her poems as she didn’t write the poetry to be published. All of her poems were given titles after her death. The poem was published posthumously in 1890 in Poems: Series 1, a collection of Dickinson's poems assembled and edited by her friends Mabel Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higginson. The poem was published under the title "The Chariot" and later the title “Because I could not stop for Death” was given to it. From the title, which is the first line of first stanza of this poem, it is very clear that the poetess couldn’t not stop for death as she is too busy in her labors and leisures and she doesn’t bother about the fact of death. This signifies the busy and ignorant man who has been indulged in different matters of life as if he is to live in this world forever. And he never thinks about death or his final destiny. But when the time of death comes, it is death itself that approaches the man and this is how the mankind starts his journey towards his destination/afterlife.

4. Stylistics analysis of the poem

4.1 Graphological levels The poem consists of six quatrains. Capitalization and different punctuation marks has been used by the poetess.4.1.1 Punctuation marks 4.1.1.1 Full stops (.)In this poem Dickinson has used only one full stop which is at the end of last line of first quatrain. Is has been used on the completion of an idea/thought. 4.1.1.2 Comma (,)In second and fourth quatrains, commas have used twice. These are used to give further information and to provide brief pauses.4.1.1.3 Apostrophe (‘) This punctuation mark has been used twice in the last quatrain of the poem. It is a rhetorical term for a speech addressed to a person, idea or thing. It refers to possession or used as a mark to indicate omission of letters. 4.1.1.4 Dashes (--) The use of dashes throughout the poem - a Dickinson trademark - is also an interesting device. Dashes have been used in all the quatrains twenty two times. She uses dashes to emphasize a longer pause. The use of the dash can become quite intriguing, leading to a sense of things left unsaid.

4.1.2 Capitalization Dickinson, in this poem, has used capitalization almost in every line. Capitalized words bring the reader’s attention to the word and show its importance. Also causes readers to pause and consider their importance.

4.2 Phonological levels

4.2.1 Rhyme scheme

The poem is composed in six quatrains with the meter alternating between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter. The rhyme scheme is ABCB in its first and last two stanzas; however, stanza three and four has different rhyme schemes as stanza three is read ABBC and stanza four is read ABCD. Stanzas 1, 2, 4, and 6 employ end rhyme in their second and fourth lines, but some of these are only close rhyme or eye rhyme. In the third stanza, there is no end rhyme, but "ring" in line 2 rhymes with "gazing" and "setting" in lines 3 and 4 respectively. Internal rhyme is scattered throughout as in line 3 the word “held” and “ourselves”, in line 5 the words “slowly” “drove” and in line 14 “Dews” “drew” rhyme internally. In line 14 and 16 “chill” and “Tulle” are the examples of slant rhyme. Perfect rhymes are used in line 2 and 4 between the words “me” and “immortality” and again it is used in line 18 and 20, where there is the repetition of the word “Ground”.

4.2.2 Sound devices

The sound devices used in poem like alliteration, repetition, assonance and consonance are:

4.2.2.1 Alliteration

Because I could not stop for Death (line 1)

The carriage held, but just Ourselves (line 3)he knew no haste (line 5) My labor, and my leisure too (line 7)

We, where (line 9)At recess, in the ring (line 10)gazing grain (line 11) setting sun (line 12)

Dews drew (line 14)For only gossamer my gown (line 15) My tippet only tulle (line 16) toward eternity (line 24)

than the (line 22)

4.2.2.2 Repetition

a) My labor and my leisure too, (line 7)

b) We passed the School, where Children strove (line 9)We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain – (line 11)We passed the Setting Sun – (line 12)

c) A Swelling of the Ground – (line 18)The Cornice – in the Ground – (line 20)

4.2.2.3 Assonance & Consonance

Assonance Consonance

Could, not, stop, for Held ,ourselvesslowly, drovehis, civilitygazing, grainsDews, drew Gossamer, gown Cornice, ground Then, centuries

But, just And, had Labor, leisure Or, ratherPaused, seemed ‘tis , centuries Horses’, heads

4.3 Morphological levels

4.3.1 Affixes

It is the formation of new words through prefixes and suffixes. It consists of free morphemes and bound morphemes.

Suffixes Pre-fixes

Kindly - kind+ lyStopped - stop+ edOurselves - our+ selvesImmortality - immortal+ itySlowly - slow+ lyCivility - civil+ ityPassed - pass+ edFields - field+ sSetting - set+ ingDews - dew+ sQuivering - quiver+ ingPaused - pause+ edSeemed - seem+ edSwelling - swell + ingScarcely - scarce + lyCenturies - century +iesFeels - feel + sShorter - short+ er

Immortality - im + mortality

4.4 Lexico-syntactic levels

4.4.1 Semantic levels

4.4.1.1 Characters

There are four characters in this poem; the poetess, death, immortality and the children.

4.4.1.2 Personification

Immortality has been personified in the poem as well as the death is personified and is a guide leading the speaker to eternity.

“He kindly stopped for me-”

“He knew no haste-”

“His Civility”

“We paused before a House…”

4.4.1.3 ParadoxSince then 'tis centuries, and yet each Feels shorter than the day I first surmised the horses' heads (lines 21-23)

4.4.1.4 Anaphora

We passed the school, where children strove At recess, in the ring; We passed the fields of gazing grain, We passed the setting sun. (lines 9-12)

4.4.1.5 Metaphor

The character of death is used as an extended metaphor to examine what real death may be like.

The house is a metaphor for a grave. We can easily get to know that it is a grave as the poetess gives its description.

4.4.1.6 Symbols

Carriage: carriage ride is the symbolic of time, since, like time, it moves slowly. Children: children playing games in a ring, which symbolizes her looking back on memories of her childhood. Gazing grain: symbolize her looking back on her adulthood and maturity. Setting sun: symbolizes either old age or death by showing that she is beyond mortal time.

4.4.1.7 Irony

In the first two lines is the unlikely image of "Death" being "kind." We can imagine a sense of verbal irony here: we might not choose to stop for something; certainly we make many such choices daily in exercising our free will. In this case, there is no choice, and there is no kindness present at all.

4.4.1.8 Antithesis Dickinson uses antithesis in stanza six comparing thought with reality. “ ’tis Centuries – yet Feels shorter than the Day,” (21,22)

She also uses this with “We passed the Setting Sun – Or rather – He passed Us – “(12, 13)Both instances draw attention to the narrator’s attempt to get a grip on reality, to accept his own death as a permanent fact, non-changeable.

4.4.1.9 Attitude/Tone Using words like “kindly”, “leisure”, “passed”, “riding”, “slowly”, and “civility” suggests an attitude of comfort and peace. Dickinson in this poem deals with the fact of death in very light and slow tone.

4.4.1.10 Old English words

Only one word from old English words has been used. Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet (line 21)

4.4.1.11 ImageryIn this poem we find imagery almost in all the quatrains. In second quatrain we can see the journey of death and that of poetess as she portrays it,

We slowly drove – He knew no haste (line 5)

The third quatrain is full of imagery as during their journey they come across many things,

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

In the fifth quatrain imagery is created as,

We paused before a House that seemedA Swelling of the Ground – (lines 17-18)

And finally, there is imagery of pulling the carriage by horses whose heads were towards eternity in the last quatrain.

I first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity – (lines23-24)

4.4.2 Lexical level Noun and pronoun verb adjective adverbI, deathhecarriage, ourselvesimmortalitywe my schoolchildren ring fields, grains sundewsgossamer, gowntippet, tullehousegroundroofcornicecenturiesday

Stop Held Drove KnewPut away StrovePassedDrewPaused, seemedFeels surmised

GazingSetting ChillSwellingVisible shorter

KindlySlowlyHaste Civilityscarcely

horses’, headseternity

5. SCOPE OF THE STUDY This work shall be exclusively stylistic, and analysis will be conducted through the use of the following levels of analysis: lexico-syntactic patterns and choices, phonology, graphology and morphology. Analysis will be conducted using the stylistic elements in each of the above mentioned levels of analysis, such that it could provide a guide and be relevant to future researchers in a related field.

6. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The time is too short to deal properly with the analysis of the poem. The material is not as much as it should be.

7. References

1. Geoffrey N. Leech A Linguistic Guide to English Poetry Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press 2000

2. Leech, G. (1969), ―A linguistic guide to English Poetry‖, London: Longman.52 3. Lodge, K. (2009) A Critical Introduction to Phonetics, London & New York: Continuum

international publishing Group.4. Crystal, D. & Davy, D. (1969) Investigating English Style. London: Longman. 5. Yule, G. (1996). The Study of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.6. Tallerman, M. (1998), Understanding Syntax, London & UK: Holder Education Ltd. 7. Carter, R (1989) What is stylistics and why do we teach it in different ways? In M. Short, (Ed),

Reading, Analyzing and Teaching Literature. London: Longman. 8. Verdonk, P. (2002) Stylistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.9. Widdowson, H.G. (1975) Stylistics and the Teaching of Literature. London: Longman.10. http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/Dickinson.html 11. http://schoolworkhelper.net/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-analysis/ 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Because_I_could_not_stop_for_Death 13. http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-2691000012/because-could-not-stop.html 14. http://www.shmoop.com/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death/stanza-6-summary.html 15. http://brendawrite.blogspot.com/p/memoir.html 16. http://www.shmoop.com/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death/analysis.html 17. http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-all-poetic-techniques-devices-used-poem-

273530 18. http://www.storyboardthat.com/teacher-guide/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-by-emily-

dickinson

8. Appendix

Because I could not stop for Death

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 hasteAnd I had put awayMy labor and my leisure too,For His Civility –

We passed the School, where Children stroveAt 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 seemedA Swelling of the Ground –The Roof was scarcely visible –The Cornice – in the Ground –

Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yetFeels shorter than the DayI first surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity –