Poetry Analysis

Because I Could Not Stop For Death - Title

Emily Dickinson - Author

Emily Dickinson was a poet who lived in Massachusetts, USA. She was born in 1830 and died in 1886. Most of her poems relate to themes of death and hardship. Her poems weren't published much until after her death, this particular poem was published in 1890. In this poem she personifies death. She identifies him as a polite gentleman who is bringing her to her grave. ¨Because I Could Not Stop For Death¨ revolves around a theme of being too busy for death, and that death ¨kindly¨ slows her down:

Because I could not stop for Death,

He kindly stopped for me

She then goes on to explain how Death (note the capital ¨D¨ on death to suggest personification) and her rode in a carriage and experienced aspects of life together: 

The carriage held but just ourselves

And immortality

We slowly drove, he knew no haste

And I had put away

My labor, and my leisure too, 

For his civility

This portion of the poem describes how before the speaker met ¨Death¨ they were living fast and did not slow down. Death ¨knew no haste¨ and that is apparent when the speaker explains how Death put away the speaker's leisure. Death does this so that the speaker can experience Death's ¨civility." This further proves the poet's calm acceptance and trust towards death which appears in many of her poems. As the speaker and Death ride along the path at an unhurried pace the speaker begins to experience flashbacks in her life:

We passed the school

Where children played

At the wrestling ring;

We passed the fields of grazing grain,

We passed the setting sun.

These flashback verses describe the beauty and simplicity of life. The fact that the speaker is watching or "flashing back" to these things, shows that they are now separated from these simplicity's. The speaker is separated because she now welcomes  the mercy of Death, her gentleman caller. Death continues to lead the speaker to their new home:

\We paused before a house that seemed 

A swelling of the ground;

The roof was scarcely visible,

The cornice but a mound. 

The description of the "new home" that Death is leading the speaker to compares to that of a regular home. This is apparent due to word choice such as; cornice and roof. The cornice of the home is described as a mound, this along with the line "swelling of a ground" describes quite clearly that the end of the speaker and Death's journey is in fact a resting place."Because I Could Not Stop For Death" explores themes of not only the physical act of dying, but feelings of acceptance and trust for the act. 

The Right to Vote - Lowering The Age to Sixteen

I have always been someone who payed attention to the politics of Canada and the goings on within the country. This election was particularly exciting for me and my family considering we are very supportive of the Liberal party. Although I was excited throughout the whole election process, I didn't exactly feel involved due to my age. I firmly believe that voting is not only a right, but a responsibility. As a Canadian citizen I find it almost insulting when someone chooses not to vote. This is part of the reason why I'm absolutely itching for the day when I can cast a valid and well thought out vote. I definitely think that the voting age should be lowered to sixteen. If we can be trusted on the road, why can't our votes and opinions on the political governance of our country be  trusted? I understand that many teenagers are viewed as irresponsible and ignorant, but there are many of us who really care about Canada and our government and are passionate about our political beliefs - I am one of them. Those sixteen and seventeen year old's who are well informed on Canadian politics and government issues can replace those who are of age and who are uninterested in voting. Our government determines how our country is run, and anyone who pays interest in this, should be allowed the right to vote. I think that sixteen is an extremely reasonable age, and those who don't care and do not want to vote this young, simply do not have to. Those of us who care and who want to, should undoubtedly have the freedom and liberty to do so. 

The Adaptable Mind: My Personal Growth

In the video "The Adaptable Mind" a concept is introduced that makes us think about ourselves and where we our in our personal journeys. The main focus of the video are these five words/ideas: curiosity, creativity, initiative, multidisciplinary thinking, and empathy. The video describes how perfecting these traits is fundamental in improving our lives as people, and our world in general. Personally, I believe that I have developed my empathy and creativity with success. I find it quite easy to step into someones shoes and really listen to how they are feeling, and what they are going through. I enjoy speaking with others and learning from what they have to say. I've always enjoyed expressing myself through music, writing or other creative outlets. I think being able to work with your creative side is a huge accomplishment and can help anyone on their path to self-discovery. I am fortunate to have grown up in an environment that encouraged my creativity and individualism. I can express myself easily and find refuge in my passions. I need to work on my initiative and curiosity. Although these areas are semi-developed, they aren't what they should be. I find myself putting in a moderate amount of effort into most things and not being disciplined about tasks. I also find myself writing down ideas or plans and not always following through. I definitely think that working on completing my ideas and taking action will refine my initiative skills. I have always had lots of questions and wondered about many things, but as I've grown older I find that childhood curiosity slipping away more and more. I hope to improve my curiosity and continue to question everything.