Interpretation from Shakespeare, Dickinson, and Collins's Works

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Interpretive
Question 1
Billy Collins compares his lamp to an old servant because it has metaphorically served him for years. It has provided him with light for all the years he has worked. Collins’ comparison of his lamp to an old servant makes the reader view his inanimate objects as more valuable and closer to him than people.
Question 2
When Emily Dickinson writes, “He kindly stopped for me,” she compares death to a person. By doing so, she treats death like someone she has to get along with. Dickinson’s comparison of death to a person shows that she does not fear it. She welcomes it like someone would welcome a person to their home.
Question 3
The speaker is uncertain about whether or not she is going to die. The uncertainty is brought about by the interruption caused by a fly buzzing in the room. This simple interruption shows how easy it is for one to question their last moment. Yet, as seen in the last lines of the poem, the speaker does die.
Question 4
When the speaker says “the windows failed,” she is speaking metaphorically. In this case, the windows represent her eyes. Hence, when they fail, she cannot see the light anymore. By using “the windows” instead of “the eyes,” to an extent, the speaker spares the reader of the harsh final act of dying.
Question 5
The night is a common metaphor for death because people view death as the end of all things. In death, there is only total darkness. I think t...