Home > Feminism > Dickinson, Emily - "Because I Could Not Stop For Death—" (Poem 712)

1. Printable Version
2. Download PDF
3. Cite this Page

"Because I could not stop for Death—" (Poem 712)

KEN HILTNER (ESSAY DATE 2000)

SOURCE: Hiltner, Ken. "Because I, Persephone, Could Not Stop for Death: Emily Dickinson and the Goddess." Emily Dickinson Journal 10, no. 2 (2000): 22-42.

In the following essay, Hiltner interprets Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death—" as a retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone and as a critique of patriarchal exogamy (the practice of a father choosing his daughter's husband from an outside group). Hiltner also suggests that Dickinson's choice not to publish her poetry can be viewed as her preference to remain separate from male-dominated society.

Though it is doubtful Emily Dickinson will ever be described as a "Classicist," we know that the poet not only studied Latin at Amherst Academy, but had at her...

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

1. Introduction
2. Principal Works
3. Primary Sources
   1. Emily Dickinson (Poem Date 1861?)
   2. Emily Dickinson (Poem Date 1862?)
   3. Emily Dickinson (Poem Date 1862?)
   4. Emily Dickinson (Poem Date 1863?)
4. General Commentary
   1. Adrienne Rich (Essay Date 1976)
5. Title Commentary
   1. "A solemn thing—it was—I said" (Poem 271)
   2. "I dwell in Possibility—" (Poem 657)
   3. "Because I could not stop for Death—" (Poem 712)
6. Further Reading
7. Copyright

1. Emily Dickinson
2. Feminism