Question

Read these lines from Emily Dickinson’s poem “712” (“Because I could not stop for death”):

Because I could not stop for death — He kindly stopped for me —

Which of these poetic devices does she use here?

A. Simile
B. Personification
C. Rhyme
D. Metaphor

Answer 1

In the lines "Because I could not stop for death - He kindly stopped for me -", the poetic device of personification (option B) is used.

Personification implies giving human attributes to a thing or an idea. In this case, the narrator states that he/she could not stop for death so he (death) stopped for her/him. The idea death is given tha human trait of stopping for somebody.