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19 October, 2024
“The Wound Dresser” vs. “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
Many authors often portray death as an emotional and solemn event, but not something to
be afraid of since it’s such a mysterious event of life. However, many others take death as a
natural and typical occurrence, and shouldn’t be feared either, but for different reasons. Authors
like to convey their opinions on a variety of discussions using tone. Tone is defined as “the
attitude or mood a text conveys, shaped by the author's choice of words and formatting,”
according to Reedsy Blog. This definition can be effortlessly applied to the two poems presented.
Of course, both poems are discussing people who are knocking on Heaven’s door; but, to get the
full meaning of a poem, one must dive deeper than just the surface-level meaning. One way to
dive deeper is to analyze the tone of the poem. “The Wound-Dresser” and “Because I Could Not
Stop for Death” both discuss the theme of death; however, “The Wound-Dresser” showcases
death as a compassionate and reflective voice, whereas “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
has a more composed and calm tone.
In “The Wound-Dresser” by Walt Whitman, an elderly man describes to the reader about
his experience serving as a nurse in the American Civil War. The poem describes several
gruesome injuries in detail, the soldiers’ suffering, and the elderly man’s sense of responsibility
and patriotism, feeling the need to dedicate his work and energy to his fatherland. The title
comes from what he would do to the wounded soldiers, which is “dress” their injuries in
bandages and wraps. The poem reflects on the need to have compassion and give to your people.
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This poem is less romantic than usual for the time period, since most other works often made
things better than they truly were; it fits more into realism, since the poem is being more realistic
about death.
In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson, death is rather
romanticized as a gentle, polite, and almost demure entity. The speaker talks to the reader about
how death arrives unexpectedly, often at the most inconvenient time, since the speaker doesn’t
even have time to think about dying. Throughout the poem, the speaker is taken by Death
throughout the stages of life, using many symbols in the process. Finally, the two reach a house,
representing the grave, where the speaker will reside for eternity. Dickinson’s portrayal of death
as a calm and gentle figure demonstrates her opinion, where death shouldn’t be feared but rather
accepted as natural.
From analyzing the tone from each poem, it’s apparent that both pieces have the same
view: that death should not be feared, but rather just a significant event. In Dickinson’s poem, it
reads, “He kindly stopped for me –” (line 2). Of course, this is a portrayal of death as a calm and
kind figure, showing how Dickinson thinks of the concept of death. Whitman has to agree,
writing, “Come sweet death! be persuaded O beautiful death! In mercy come quickly” (line 43).
Similar to Dickinson’s poem, Whitman presents his opinion of death through the viewpoint of
the unnamed speaker.
Despite this obvious similarity, the poets have differentiating views on how death feels. If
one were to read Walt Whitman’s poem, without even analyzing the tone, it’s very descriptive
about the deaths of the soldiers. The tone is very empathetic and reflective, almost
hyper-analyzing the physical pain of the soldiers and the mental toll it takes on other people.
Whitman wrote it this way because he really wanted to shake the reader and have them ask
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themselves how they feel about such a gruesome scene. University of Vermont professor Huck
says that the speaker is trying to process all of this death at once, almost overwhelmed with
feelings of remorse for the victims and reflection on his service. Gutman quoted in a paper,
“...Whitman reflects silently (he is not saying this to the ‘young men and maidens’) on his own
first response to the war and the inadequacy of that response.” In addition to this, the tone of the
poem feels clearly heroic and nearly patriotic when compared to Dickinson’s poem. This ever so
slightly changes the meaning of the poem, adding in an element of recovery and hope. Gutman
also speaks about this, writing, “The heroism is evident here as the narrator/poet goes onward
even though he is pierced by empathy and sympathy: ‘the pangs are sharp yet unavoidable.’”
Emily Dickinson’s poem is not nearly as graphic as Whitman’s work. This literature
appears to be peaceful in tone, showing very little stress despite the narrator literally dying.
Death appears to be a character as cool as a cucumber; he is described in the poem “almost like a
human being taking the dead person out for a drive on a sunny day” (Lin). The difference with
Whitman’s rather gory poem is quite apparent, as the contrast between the loud and emotional
tone of “The Wound Dresser” and the softer, nonchalant tone of “Because I Could Not Stop for
Death.”
Irony is present before you even finish the first stanza of “Because I Could Not Stop for
Death.” With death typically being displayed as a scary experience, you would be reluctant to go
on a carriage-ride with Death. However, the speaker willingly goes on this ride with Death. This
demonstrates that death is truly not a scary subject in Dickinson’s eyes, but rather one that’s
tranquil and serene. With this, there is some irony in the fact that the speaker gets cold;
Dickinson describes a new scene after the speaker and Death pass by a school and a field, “Or
rather – He passed Us – The Dews drew quivering and Chill – For only Gossamer, my Gown –
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My Tippet – only Tulle” (line 12 through 16). With the speaker experiencing some discomfort on
this peaceful drive with Death, it’s unexpected that the speaker becomes cold. Obviously this is
because she’s described as wearing poorly-insulated clothes; however, the reason that Dickinson
described it this way is to convey that death is truly the end. The grave is very cold, and so is the
speaker in this stanza.
Both poems that have been described address death as something that should not be
feared. However, the two approach the subject with different tones and perspectives. Whitman’s
poem uses vivid imagery and detail to convey that there is a responsibility to be carried with
death, especially within the realm of warfare. It also yields a compassionate and heroic tone. On
the other hand, Dickinson’s poem takes a more philosophical approach, personifying death as a
gentle guide rather than a forceful threat. The tone of her poem is also more collected than
Whitman’s poem. The tonal differences provide an effective method of displaying how both
authors feel about death
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Works Cited
Gutman, Huck. “Walt Whitman, The Wound-Dresser — Poetry Letters by Huck Gutman.”
Poetry Letters by Huck Gutman, 25 May 2024,
https://www.huckgutman.com/blog-1/walt-whitman-the-wound-dresser. Accessed 8
October 2024.
Levine, Robert S. “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” The Norton Anthology of American
Literature, 10th ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2023, pp. 50-51.
Levine, Robert S. “The Wound Dresser.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 10 ed.,
W. W. Norton & Company, 2023, pp. 29-31.
Lin, James. “Emily Dickinson – Because I could not stop for death.” Blogs@Baruch, 5 May,
2013. https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/greatworks255spring2013/. Accessed October 8,
2024.
“People Search.” University of Vermont, https://www.uvm.edu/people?search=huck%20gutman.
Accessed 8 October 2024.
Reedsy Editorial Team. “What is Tone in Literature? Definition & Examples.” Reedsy Blog, 10
May 2024,
https://blog.reedsy.com/tone-in-literature/#:~:text=About%20Dario%20Villirilli,%F0%9
F%96%8A%EF%B8%8F. Accessed 7 October 2024.
