“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is one of Emily Dickinson’s signature poems. Its short, rhymed lines tell the cryptic story of the speaker’s carriage ride with Death. The two, polite and relaxed, share the day-long ride, passing by children at play, fields of grain, and the setting sun on their way “toward eternity.” Dickinson uses metaphor to approach her weighty subject matter with style and subtlety.

Skills: analysis, drawing inferences from text, close reading, identifying the relationship between words

About This Document

The Owl Eyes Analyzing Metaphor activity gives students an opportunity to practice examining and analyzing metaphors. Students will engage with specific selections of the text and work collaboratively to identify the vehicle, tenor, and implications of each metaphor. The main components include the following:

• A brief introduction to the text
• A detailed handout on metaphor types
• A step-by-step guide to activity procedure
• A detailed answer key for teachers

In completing this worksheet, students will learn to classify and analyze different kinds of metaphors in order to develop close reading skills and draw deeper inferences from the text.