How the Settings of Because I Could Not Stop for Death and _Some Keep
the Sabbath Going to Church_ Differ
Both poems by Emily Dickinson use their settings to reinforce their themes, but they do so in contrasting ways.
1. Journey Toward Death vs. Groundedness
- Because I Could Not Stop for Death : The setting is a moving carriage ride through different stages of life, symbolizing a journey toward death and the afterlife. The progression through the landscape reflects the speaker’s transition from life to death.
- Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church : The setting is the speaker’s own garden, where she keeps the Sabbath at home. This grounded, familiar natural environment reflects a personal and intimate form of worship, showing the speaker’s connection to her own spiritual practice.
2. Worshipful Attitude Toward Nature vs. Symbolic Use of Nature
- Because I Could Not Stop for Death : The natural elements (fields of grain, setting sun) are depicted with reverence and contribute to a contemplative, almost sacred atmosphere, emphasizing the solemnity of death.
- Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church : The natural setting is symbolic, representing the speaker’s alternative way of observing the Sabbath. The garden is a backdrop that contrasts with traditional churchgoing, highlighting individuality rather than a direct worship of nature itself.
3. Integration of Setting and Theme
- Because I Could Not Stop for Death : The setting is integral to the poem’s theme of mortality and immortality. The journey through time and space mirrors the speaker’s passage from life to death.
- Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church : The setting serves more as a backdrop to the larger theme of personal faith and nonconformity. The garden setting supports the theme but is not the central focus.
4. Mood Created by the Setting
- Because I Could Not Stop for Death : The countryside and the slow, deliberate pace of the carriage ride create a dreamlike, calm, and reflective mood, inviting the reader to meditate on death’s inevitability.
- Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church : The garden setting evokes a mood of quiet contentment and sincere, simple happiness, contrasting with the formal, communal church setting.
Summary Table
Aspect| Because I Could Not Stop for Death| Some Keep the Sabbath Going
to Church
---|---|---
Setting| Moving carriage through life stages| Speaker’s garden at home
Symbolism of Nature| Worshipful, solemn, reflective| Symbolic backdrop
for personal faith
Relation to Theme| Integral: journey toward death| Backdrop for theme of
individual spirituality
Mood| Dreamlike, contemplative| Peaceful, content, sincere
If you want, I can also provide a more detailed analysis of each poem’s setting and its literary significance!
