Emily Dickinson's Poetry

Question 4 • (J. Blaum) 0231 10th Grade English 1st 9 Weeks 26-27

How do the settings of "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church" differ?

Answer

Traveling in the former represents a journey toward death, while the setting of the latter shows that the speaker is well grounded.

The landscape in the former represents a worshipful attitude toward nature, while the natural setting is only symbolic in the latter.

The setting of the former is separate from the poem’s themes, while the setting of the latter is merely a backdrop for a larger theme.

The countryside setting in the former creates a dreamlike mood, while the setting of the latter creates a mood of artificial happiness.

Explanation

In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” the speaker rides with Death through changing scenes, making the journey a passage toward the grave and eternity. In “Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church,” the speaker worships outdoors, with nature serving as a church; this connects the speaker to the natural world. So the first poem’s travel represents a journey toward death, while the second poem’s setting shows the speaker grounded in nature.

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