Mary Oliver’s and Emily Dickinson’s Poems Compared

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Different poets have written poems about death aimed at explaining the phenomenon. In her poem, “When Death Comes,” Mary Oliver gives a rumination on what happens after one dies. At the same time, Emily Dickinson demonstrates death as an inevitable occurrence and highlights the uncertainties surrounding it in her poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” Even though the two poets offer some differences in portraying death, their descriptions of this phenomenon are similar, and specific examples from the poem prove this statement.

Discussion

The two poets demonstrate some differences in the way that they perceive death. Oliver demonstrates death as an insignificant event that equates to a rite of passage among human beings. This is evident in the third stanza, where Oliver states, “when death comes like an iceberg between the shoulder blades” (lines 7-8). These words demonstrate that Oliver will not face death as a surprise; instead, she will welcome it with curiosity to understand what happens after one leaves the earth. On the contrary, in her last stanza, Dickinson displays death as a mystery because she wonders how long eternity is since time ceases to exist in that place. The poet uses the words “Since then – ’tis Centuries – and yet, feels shorter than the Day” to demonstrate how difficult it shall be to measure time in death as is the norm when living (Dickinson lines 21-22). These findings reveal that the differences are essential and deserve attention.

However, many aspects demonstrate the similarities in how the two poets depicted death. Firstly, the two poems have personified death and given it the ability to take a person away to an unknown place. This aspect is evident in Oliver’s opening stanza, where she says, “When death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse” (line 3). Similarly, Dickinson personifies death in her opening stanza by saying, “He kindly stopped for me” (line 2). The personification of death demonstrates its acceptance among human beings since the event is inevitable.

Secondly, the two poets demonstrate that death does not consider the opinion of the targeted person. Oliver expresses this in her second stanza, where death snaps and shuts definitively without considering people’s thoughts. She uses the words “to buy me, and snaps the purse shut” (Oliver line 4). Simultaneously, Dickinson expresses that even though the poem’s persona could not stop for death, it stopped and took her away. Thus, the author demonstrates that human beings lack control over the occurrence of death. Dickinson says, “Because I could not stop for Death –He kindly stopped for me” (lines 1-2). Consequently, many aspects allow for the conclusion that the two poems are similar.

Conclusion

In conclusion, similarities between the poems by Mary Oliver and Emily Dickinson prevail, but some differences still exist. These literary works differ because they consider death an insignificant event, while Dickinson describes the phenomenon as a mystery. As for similarities, they are more numerous, and they include death personification and its negligence of people’s opinions. These poems also motivate me to engage in this discussion. For me, Dickinson’s approach seems closer because it is challenging to call death an insignificant process. Even though it is natural and no one can escape death, the event is very significant. That is why it is not surprising that many people draw attention to what death means and what happens after it.

Works Cited

Dickinson, Emily. “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.”Poetry Foundation, Web.

Oliver, Mary. “When Death Comes, by Mary Oliver.”Awakin.org, Web.

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Mary Oliver’s and Emily Dickinson’s Poems Compared

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