Exploring the Metaphorical Significance of Death in Emily Dickinson's poem 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death' and Its Influence on 19th-Century American Poetry

Aqeel Raza; Nurjis  Zahra

doi:10.55927/marcopolo.v2i2.7966

Authors

Aqeel Raza International Studies Southwest University Chongqing
Nurjis Zahra Center for Studies of Education and Psychology of Ethnic Minorites, Southwest University Chongqing

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/marcopolo.v2i2.7966

Keywords:

Metaphorical Representation, Emily Dickinson Poems, American Poetry

Abstract

This research embarks on an exploration of the nuanced and evolving metaphorical representations of death within 19th-century American poetry focus on Emily Dickinson's poem 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death. The methodology integrates close textual analysis with historical contextualization, shedding light on the broader sociocultural landscape that influenced poetic expressions of death. By scrutinizing metaphorical intricacies, symbolism, and linguistic choices, the study aims to elucidate how Dickinson's portrayal of death diverges or aligns with the works of her peers. Moreover, it endeavors to discern underlying societal attitudes towards mortality, providing a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between poetic representation and cultural dynamics in 19th-century American literature. In examining the metaphorical evolution of death in poetry, this research not only contributes to literary scholarship but also unveils broader insights into the cultural zeitgeist of the time, thereby enriching our understanding of the intricate relationship between poetic expression and societal perceptions of mortality.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

AlKhrisheh, A. S., Abuhammam, E. A., & Al-Rbehat, W. R. (2023). Questioning Nature: A Study of Death and Isolation in Selected Nature Poems by Robert Frost. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 13(1), 127-136.

Aspiz, H. (2004). So long! Walt Whitman's poetry of death. University of Alabama Press.

Brady, I. (Ed.). (1991). Anthropological Poetics. Rowman

Davidson, C. N. (2004). Revolution and the word: The rise of the novel in America. Oxford University Press.

Dumond, D. E. (1965). Population growth and cultural change. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 21(4), 302-324.

Hale, D. J. (1998). Social formalism: The novel in theory from Henry James to the present. Stanford University Press.

Howard, W. (1957). Emily Dickinson's poetic vocabulary. PMLA, 72(1), 225-248.

Inglehart, R. (2020). Modernization and postmodernization: Cultural, economic, and political change in 43 societies. Princeton university press.

Klein, J. T. (2010). Creating interdisciplinary campus cultures: A model for strength and sustainability. John Wiley & Sons.

Koster, M., & Van Leynseele, Y. (2018). Brokers as assemblers: Studying development through the lens of brokerage. Ethnos, 83(5), 803-813.

Luciano, D. (2007). Arranging grief: Sacred time and the body in nineteenth-century America (Vol. 2). NYU Press.

Łuczyńska-Hołdys, M. (2021). The Written and the Visual: Representations of Women in English Nineteenth-Century Poetry and Art. V&R Unipress.

Murison, J. S. (2011). The Politics of Anxiety in Nineteenth-Century American Literature (Vol. 162). Cambridge University Press.

Orr, G. (2002). Poetry as survival. University of Georgia Press

Roy, A., Mahavidyalaya, A. M., & Newtown, N. L. (2015). The Theme of Death And Time in Emily Dickinson’s Poetry. International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities, 3, 166-174.

Saksono, S. T., Wardhono, A., & Salikin, H. (2023). Emily Dickinson’s Quest for Truth and Immortality through Words. Canadian Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 3(5), 23-30

Shaw, S. (2023). Philosophies of Interest. In The Philosophy of Authentic Leadership (pp. 53-90). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland

Spengemann, W. (Ed.). (1996). Nineteenth-Century American Poetry