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Breniaha Womble

Lux

ENGL 1020-55

8 February 2016

Because I Could Not Stop for Themes

Death is part of the inevitable, and is something that will happen to everyone. Coming to

terms with it is something each person must do. Death is a commonality between each of the

poems being analyzed. Resum by Dorothy Parker harnesses many literary techniques to fit

her message, that committing suicide is a hassle so choose to live, into only eight lines. In

Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy writes of the problems societal norms can cause, including death.

Emily Dickinson packs a more positive outlook on death as a polite gentleman caller within her

poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death-, as if to say, dying is okay.

Dickinson uses a leisurely and lax tone to explain her theme that death is an okay thing in

Because I Could Not Stop for Death-. Dickinson personifies death as a gentleman caller in

lines two and eight, He kindly stopped for [the speaker] and she notes his Civility. Death

driving the carriage, knew no haste, this is part of the civility of death mentioned in line eight

(line 5). This is a positive view of something that is usually considered foul and the end. The

speaker is unknown in this poem, but towards the end when she says the Horses Heads / Were

sstoward Eternity it is revealed that she is dead as well (23-4). The setting is a leisurely ride

through the town toward the speakers final resting place. We slowly drove- . . . passed the

school . . . the fields . . . the sun . . . we paused before a House Dickinson writes of the setting

(5, 9-12, 17). The speaker says We passed the Setting Sun. The sun is typically associated with

life and when they pass it, it is a symbol of life ending. The calming effect of this poem, the use
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of personification, and the use of setting all contribute to the theme death is okay. Unlike

Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Barbie Doll has a different way of discussing death.

Piercy uses suicide as her medium and explains why here character chooses this way out.

Piercys theme is how detrimental societal norms can be. Girls are expected by society to

be petite and pretty. Piercy makes use of sarcasm and irony when she writes the magic of

puberty which obviously is a trying time for the main character and other teens where they grow

and their bodies change (5). Her classmate points out how she does not fit the norm for females

and instead has a great big nose and fat legs (6). She is no longer considered a person, but a

fat nose on thick legs (11). Barbie Doll is written from a third person point of view. This

allows the reader to wonder more about how she feels about herself in response to comments

made by those around her. Her good nature wore out / like a fan belt and manual dexterity

both have manly connotations (). She is going outside of the typical female mold and because of

this she is made fun of. In order to fit in, she offers up her nose and legs (18). By doing this

she is finally considered pretty, but at the cost of her life. Resum also discusses suicide but in

the end the speaker decides against it.

Resum uses understatement to lightheartedly discuss suicide. Parker plainly states her

theme at the end You might as well live (8). Even though the poem is short it packs a punch in

poetic devices that help express her theme, even the title. The title Resum without the accent

is resume which means to continue which essentially is the theme. Throughout the poem she

repeatedly lists reasons for why the reader should not commit suicide like Razors pain you (1).

Her use of understatement like rivers are damp presents a sense of irony. Rivers are made of

water so they are wet, dampness is not enough to express that (2). She maintains a steady rhythm
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until Nooses give, in line 6, much like her rhythmic scheme gives. She finally ends with the

idea that each of the suicide methods are a hassle so you might as well live (8).

Each poet used different poetic devices to include their themes into their poetry.

Dickinson uses setting, personification, and symbolism to say death is okay. Piercy uses sarcasm,

point of view, and connotation to display the negative effects of societys social standards.

Parker uses irony, understatement and her title to dissuade suicide. Death is an everyday

occurrence. Each poem, like each person, has a different way of explaining or dealing with

death. The theme expresses a different way to deal with death, like suicide, or the cause, such as

societal norms. Death is okay, suicide is not the way, and people believe what people say.
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Works Cited

Dickinson, Emily. Because I could Not Stop for Death-. The River Reader. Second Edition.

Eds. Kathleen Shine Cain, et al. New York: Pearson, 2010. 94. Print.

Parker, Dorothy. Resum. The River Reader. Second Edition. Eds. Kathleen Shine Cain, et al.

New York: Pearson, 2010. 349. Print.

Piercy, Marge. Barbie Doll. The River Reader. Second Edition. Eds. Kathleen Shine Cain, et

al. New York: Pearson, 2010. 349. Print.

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