because-i-could-not-stop-for-death

BecauseICouldNotStopforDeathEmilyDickinsonBecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath---Hekindlystoppedforme---TheCarriageheldbutjustOurselves---AndImmortality.Weslowlydrove---HeknewnohasteAndIhadputawayMylabor,andmyleisuretoo,ForHisCivility---WepassedtheSchool,whereChildrenstroveAtRecess-intheRing---WepassedtheFieldsofGazingGrain---WepassedtheSettingSun.Orrather---HepassedUs;TheDewsdrewquiveringandchill---ForonlyGossamer,myGown---MyTippet---onlyTulle---WepausedbeforeaHousethatseemedASwellingoftheGround---TheRoofwasscarcelyvisible---TheCornice---intheGround---Sincethen---'tisCenturies-andyetFeelsshorterthantheDayIfirstsurmisedtheHorsesHeadsWeretowardEternity---因为我不能停下来等待死神他和善地停下来等我——那辆车只能容我们两个——还有不朽。我们慢慢驱车——他不慌不忙我也把我的劳与闲统统丢掉一边，为了他的礼让——我们走过校园，孩子们你推我搡，在休息时间，在圆形广场——我们走过在田间凝眸的麦杆——我们走过落日旁——或毋宁说，他走过我们身旁寒露降，身子冻得打颤——因为我的长衫落纱般——我的披肩如丝网——我们停步在一所房子前，那似乎是隆起的土地一片屋顶几乎看不见——屋檐在地里面——离那时已是几个世纪过了还不到一天，我首次猜测到，马头在朝向永恒奔窜。•BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath—Hekindlystoppedforme—TheCarriageheldbutjustOurselves—AndImmortality.因为我不能停下来等待死神他和善地停下来等我那辆车只能容我们两个还有不朽。•Stanza1:Theangelofdeath,intheimageofakindperson,comesinacarriageforthesakeofImmortalityandthepoet.•Weslowlydrove—HeknewnohasteAndIhadputawayMylaborandmyleisuretoo,ForHisCivility—我们慢慢驱车，他不慌不忙我也把我的劳与闲统统丢掉一边，为了他的礼让•Stanza2:Toshowmypolitenesstogodofdeath,Igaveupmyworkandmyenjoymentoflifeaswell;Igiveupmylife.•WepassedtheSchool,whereChildrenstroveAtRecess—intheRing—WepassedtheFieldsofGazingGrain—WepassedtheSettingSun—我们走过校园，孩子们你推我搡，在休息时间，在圆形广场我们走过在田间凝眸的麦杆我们走过落日旁Stanza3:Thejourneyofourcarriageimpliedtheexperienceofhumanlife;schoolimpliestimeofchildhood;thefieldsofgazinggrain,foryouthandadulthood;whilethesettingsun,foroldage.•Orrather—HepassedUs—TheDewsdrewquiveringandchill—ForonlyGossamer,myGown—MyTippet—onlyTulle—或毋宁说，他走过我们身旁寒露降，身子冻得打颤因为我的长衫落纱般我的披肩如丝网•Stanza4:Probablywemaysaythesunsetsbeforewereachthedestination---thenightfalls,deatharrives.Ifeltafearandchillyafterdeath,formyshroudisthinandmyscarftoolight.Despitethedescriptionof“death”,theusualgloomyandhorrifyingatmosphereislightenedbythepoetesswiththeelegantlyflutteringclothingshedescribes.Stanza5&6.Severalcenturieshadpassedsincethearrivalofdeathuponme.However,Ifeltitisshorterthanaday.OnthatdayIsuddenlyrealizedthatdeathisthestartingpointforeternity,andthecarriageisheadingtowardsit.WepausedbeforeaHousethatseemedASwellingoftheGround—TheRoofwasscarcelyvisible—TheCornice—intheGround—我们停步在一所房子前，那似乎是隆起的土地一片屋顶几乎看不见屋檐在地里面Sincethen—'tisCenturies—andyetFeelsshorterthantheDayIfirstsurmisedtheHorses'HeadsWeretowardEternity—离那时已是几个世纪，但好像过了还不到一天，我首次猜测到，马头在朝向永恒奔窜。Characters•Narrator:awomanwhocalmlyacceptsdeath.Infact,sheseemstowelcomedeathasasuitorwhosheplansmarry.•Death:agentlemancallerwhotakesaleisurelycarriageridewiththepoettohergrave•Immortality:apassengerinthecarriageTheme---Death•Deathisnottobefearedsinceitisanaturalpartoftheendlesscycleofnature.•Asaspinster(老处女),Dickinsonisreclusive（深居简出的）andintrospective（内省的）,tendingtodwellonlonelinessanddeath;asaChristianandBiblereader,sheisoptimisticaboutherultimatefateandappearstotreatdeathasafriend.Themes--CycleofLifeTheimagesthatdescribewhatisseeninthecarriageride,allsuggestthatlifeisacycle,thatthecradle-to-gravemotionbringsusbacktowherewestartedfrom.inaRing:notonlyistheringsymbolicofanendlesscircle,butthefactthatoneseeschildrentestingtheirstrengthindicatesthatthedyingspeakerhascomebacktowhereshecamefrom.FieldsofGrain:remindusofthecycleoflifebecausetheyrepeatthewholemotionyearafteryear,fromplantingtoharvesting.SettingSunindicatesanending,butitisonlytemporary.Themes--Time•Akeyinthispoemishowtimepassesatadifferentpaceunderdifferentcircumstances.•Thetouraroundtownthattakesplacesoslowlycouldbebasedupontheoldsuperstitionaboutone’sentirelifeflashingbeforeone’seyesattheinstantofdying.Ontheotherhand,itcouldbeDickinson’swayofshowingthatDeathisacomfortandthatitisasmuchapartoflifeasalloftheotherthingsthatareobserved.•Afterdeath,theflowoftimechangesforthepoem’sspeaker:whileamomentoncerevealedthingsthatwouldhavetakenhourstosee,centuriesnowfeelshorterthanaday.FiguresofSpeech•Alliteration•Personality