Because I could not stop for Death

by 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

We passed the School, where Children strove

And I had put away

My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility –

We passed the Setting Sun –
At Recess – in the Ring –
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –

My Tippet – only Tulle –
Or rather – He passed us –
The Dews drew quivering and chill –
For only Gossamer, my Gown –

The Cornice – in the Ground –
We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground –
The Roof was scarcely visible –

Were toward Eternity –
Since then – ‘tis Centuries – and yet
Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses’ Heads

Questions for Analysis

1. When does the atmosphere surrounding the ride begin to change?

2. In what direction are the horse's heads pointing?

3. Who is riding in the carriage?

4. What word describes Death in the opening stanzas?

5. At what place is there a pause in the journey?

6. What does the poet put aside when Death stops by?

7. Who does the poet say passes the carriage?

8. What image in the poem suggest a person becoming old and dying?

9. Why do you think Death is introduced as a 'he' in the first stanza?

10. The line "Because I could not stop for Death" is the poet's way of saying what?

11. Why do you think the carriage is moving slowly?

12. What effect is created by describing the grave as a house?

13. What line contains a Paradox? Explain the paradox.

14. In addition to death what else is personified in the poem?

15. What euphemism is used for a grave?

16. Find an example of anaphora in the poem.

17. Find an example of exact rhyme in the poem?

18. Find an example of slant rhyme in the poem.

19. Find an example of alliteration in the poem?

Support Material

Use this material to learn more about the poem and, in that way, get the tools necessary to answer the previous questions.

General Summary

Death, in the form of a gentleman suitor, stops to pick up the speaker and take her on a ride in his horse-drawn carriage. This suitor is apparently the arranged husband of the speaker.

They move along at a pretty relaxed pace and the speaker seems completely at ease with the gentleman. As they pass through the town, she sees children at play, fields of grain, and the setting sun. Pretty peaceful, right?

As dusk sets in our speaker gets a little chilly, as she is completely under-dressed – only wearing a thin silk shawl for a coat. She was unprepared for her impromptu date with Death when she got dressed that morning.

They stop at what will be her burial ground, marked with a small headstone.

In the final stanza, we find out the speaker's ride with Death took place centuries ago (so she's been dead for a long time). But it seems like just yesterday when she first got the feeling that horse heads (like those of the horses that drew the "death carriage") pointed toward "Eternity"; or, in other words, signaled the passage from life to death to an afterlife.

Figures of Speech

Alliteration

Because I could not stop for Death (line 1)

he knew no haste (line 5)

My labor, and my leisure too (line 7)

Anaphora

We passed the school, where children strove
At recess, in the ring;

We passed the fields of gazing grain,

We passed the setting sun. (lines 9-12)

Paradox

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each

Feels shorter than the day

I first surmised the horses' heads (lines 21-23)

Personification

We passed the setting sun.

Or rather, he passed us (lines 12-13)

Comparison of the sun to a person

Death is personified throughout the poem

What is Alliteration?

Alliteration
is the repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of each or most
of the words in a sentence. The easiest way to use alliteration would be to
repeat the starting letter of the words.

Alliteration is used in poetry to create different effects, either for a reflective
description or to create more drama or danger.

Anaphora Definition

In writing or speech, the deliberate repetition
of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect is
known as Anaphora.

Apart from the function of giving prominence to ideas, the use of anaphora in
literature adds rhythm to it and thus, making it more pleasurable to read and
easier to remember. As a literary device, anaphora serves the purpose of
furnishing artistic effect to the passages of prose and
poetry.

As a rhetorical device, it is used to appeal to the emotions of the audience in
order to persuade, inspire, motivate and encourage them.

Paradox Definition

The term Paradox is from the Greek word “paradoxon”
that means contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion.

It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a
latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to
accepted traditional ideas. A paradox is often used to make a reader think over
an idea in innovative way.

In poetry, the use of paradox is not confined to mere wit and pleasure; rather, it

becomes an integral part of poetic diction.
Poets usually make use of a paradox to create a remarkable thought or image out
of words.

Some types of paradox in poetry are meant to communicate a tone of irony
to its readers as well as lead their thoughts to the immediate subject. Paradox
in most poems normally strives to create feelings of intrigue and interest in readers’
minds to make them think deeper and harder to enjoy the real message of the
poem.

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Because I could not stop for Death

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