Because I could not
stop for death
By Emily Dickinson
Close reading
Focus on symbolism
Constructed Response
Suggested Use:
•
This lesson is a focus on identifying and interpreting literary devices, particularly symbolism and
tone.
Learning Objective:
•
Students should be able to consolidate
understanding of symbolism in the text
to identify the tone and explain how
the author conveys the tone in the text.
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
analyze in detail its development over the course
of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped
and refined by specific details; provide an objective
summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone
(e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and
place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.D
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.6
Acquire and use accurately general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for
reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge
when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Emily Dickinson
1830-1886
Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
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 –
We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess – in the Ring –
1. Gossamer – very thin substance such as
spider web or cobweb
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –
We passed the Setting Sun –
2. Tippet – scarf like garment
Or rather – He passed us –
3. Tulle – thin fabric, used for making tutus
The Dews drew quivering and chill –
For only Gossamer1, my Gown –
My Tippet2 – only Tulle3 –
4. Cornice – ornamental wood lining a
room just below the ceiling
We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground –
The Roof was scarcely visible –
The Cornice4 – in the Ground –
Since then – ‘tis Centuries – and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses’ Heads
Were toward Eternity –
Other words I did not know:
Definitions
Comprehension Questions:
Answer in complete sentences.
1. What is being personified in this poem? How do you know?
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2. What is revealed about the narrator in the last stanza of the poem?
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Symbol
Meaning
1. The Carriage
2. The Children
3.
the end
4. The House
5.
onwards toward the afterlife
Paragraph Constructer Response:
What is the narrator’s attitude toward death in the poem?
What literary devices help to create the tone? Explain their effects. Use textual evidence.
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