Question

because i could not stop for death
emily dickinson

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-
we passed the fields of gazing grain-
we passed the setting sun-

or rather-he passed us-
the dews drew quivering and chill-
for only gossamer, my gown-
my tippet-only tulle-

we paused before a house that seemed
a swelling of the ground-
the roof was scarcely visible-
the cornice-in the ground-

which of the following best paraphrases the highlighted lines of the poem?

• we paused at a school that appeared small and humble.
• we visited a grand mansion that stood out prominently.
• we stopped at a house that looked like a mound in the earth.

Explanation:

Identify the highlighted lines

Using the Emily Dickinson Poetry knowledge point, we locate the highlighted lines at the bottom left of the image:
"We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground—"

Analyze the literal meaning

Using the Poetic Paraphrasing knowledge point

• "We paused before" translates to stopping or pausing at a location.
• "a House that seemed / A Swelling of the Ground" describes a structure resembling a mound, hill, or grave rising from the earth.

Evaluate the given options

Using the Poetic Paraphrasing knowledge point

• Option 1: "We paused at a school..." is incorrect because the text specifies a "House," not a school.
• Option 2: "We visited a grand mansion..." is incorrect because "A Swelling of the Ground" suggests a low, earth-like mound (representing a grave), not a grand mansion.
• Option 3: "We stopped at a house that looked like a mound in the earth" accurately captures both "paused before a House" and "seemed / A Swelling of the Ground."

Answer:

• We paused at a school that appeared small and humble.
• We visited a grand mansion that stood out prominently.
• We stopped at a house that looked like a mound in the earth. (Correct answer)