Question

Based on your reading of both versions of Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” how do the differences in punctuation influence the pacing and meaning of the poem? How might the difference in capitalization influence the poem?

Answer 1

Answer: In the original poem, the dashes at the end of every other line displays a pause and emphasizes certain things/actions the poet wants the reader to pay close attention to. This does not happen in the second version. Instead, the dashes are replaced with both semicolons and commas in the second version, although this does stress the importance of a pause, it is more prominent in the first version.

Answer 2

In the first version of the poem, the dashes connect different sections, perhaps to reflect that the events or images described are taking place in quick succession. The dashes might also signify abrupt shifts of thought or the unpredictability of human life.

The version with the dashes seems to have an uneven rhythm, with pauses and breaks; the version with commas, semicolons, and periods lacks this effect, and it sounds flatter than the other version.

In the revised version, the poem ends with a period instead of a dash, again changing the interpretation of the poem: the dash suggests that something is to follow, while a period suggests closure or finality.

Dickinson also capitalizes seemingly minor words, such as Recess, Ring, and Gown. Perhaps she uses this form of capitalization to emphasize the words' symbolic significance or the images they create. When the capitals are removed, the symbolism in the poem seems weaker.