Because I could not stop for Death cover image

Listen to this poem:

Because I could not stop for Death

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 Tule - my Tulle -

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

Since then - ’tis Centuries - and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses’ Heads Were toward Eternity -

About Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was an American poet known for her unique style, unconventional punctuation, and exploration of themes like death, immortality, and love. Though she lived a reclusive life in Massachusetts, her work has become some of the most celebrated in American literature.