Abstract
The paper Moving “Passed” Life for Death explores Emily Dickinson's poem #479, "Because I could not stop for Death," focusing on the theme of movement expressed through the word "passed." It analyzes the contradictory qualities of movement and stopping and how they interplay. At the same time, it looks into how the poem's periodic stopping points highlight the natural cycle of life and death, challenging the conventional and fearful understanding of dying. Dickinson's use of "passed" ultimately alludes to the persistence of life after death, altering readers' perceptions of mortality. The essay presents an intriguing interpretation of life, death, and the passage of time.
Recommended Citation
Morrissey, Gwyneth
(2024)
"Moving “Passed” Life for Death,"
The Criterion: Vol. 2024, Article 7.
Available at:
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/criterion/vol2024/iss1/7
Included in
Comparative Literature Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, Rhetoric and Composition Commons