The tone at the beginning of the poem seems relaxed and matter-of-fact. This is in large part because the poem is narrated in the past tense, meaning that there is now a distance between the speaker and the events she describes, which allows her to describe those events with a degree of detached objectivity. Words like "kindly" and "Civility" describing "Death" also lend to the tone of the poem a suggestion of gratitude. This is slightly undermined, however, by the fact that "Death" is so immediately prominent. The tone of the poem in the beginning (relaxed, matter-of-fact, grateful) seems conspicuous because of the prominence of "Death," and the reader perhaps senses that this initial tone might be misleading.

By the fourth stanza, vocabulary like "quivering," "Chill," and "Gossamer" connotes a more sinister tone. At this point in the poem, the reader may be aware that "Death" is taking the speaker towards her own death, and this knowledge will affect the tone of the reader's voice and compound the change to a darker, more sinister tone.

At the end of the poem we realize that the narrator is in fact dead, narrating the poem from the afterlife. This may suggest that the tone becomes darker still. However, the final lines of the poem, "the Horses' Heads / Were towards Eternity," actually implies a more peaceful, hopeful tone. The implication of the final lines is that the speaker's earthly death was only the beginning of an eternal life in the spiritual realm. The speaker lives on, and this ensures that the tone of the poem at the end is hopeful, if not exactly happy.

At the beginning, the poem's tone is steady and nonchalant (or casual). Death is a person riding in a carriage and the poet, when Death stops, joins him for his carriage ride. Rather than the typical response of being frightened or overwrought by death, the poet sees him as "kindly" and full of "civility," as if he is a neighborhood gentleman. She seems perfectly content to join him and together they pass a schoolyard where children are playing during recess and then a field of grain. But as they pass the setting sun--or the sun passes them--the tone shifts to become darker (like the time of day) and chillier. The scene becomes subtly more uncanny or un-homelike--now, the poet begins to quiver from the chill, because she realizes she is only dressed in very light clothes--"gossamer" and "tulle." She and Death pass what looks like a house, but it is buried in the ground, because it is, in fact, a grave. It's then that she realizes, with more foreboding, what death or "Eternity" is: being buried with no sense of time. So, although the poem's tone starts out as steady and casual, by the end, it is more chilly. 

The speaker's tone in this poem is not only very accepting of death but also, in a way, flattered by death's willingness to stop for her and appreciative of death's gentle treatment of her.  She describes death as someone would describe a lover: he stops for her, picking her up in his "Carriage"; they drive slowly, just the two of them, and she seems to enjoy his company and "Civility."  Then, when it gets late, and she gets cold, he takes her back to his home.  Most of the words in the poem have a positive connotation; there is pretty natural imagery and references to children playing.  There is no trace of fear or even hesitation.  It is, perhaps, the knowledge of her soul's "Immortality" and a peaceful "eternity" that render the idea of dying much less frightening than we often consider it to be.

What type of poem is "Because I could not stop for Death--" by Emily Dickinson?

"Because I could not stop for Death--" is an example of lyric poetry.   Lyric poetry most commonly portrays the deep feelings or emotions of the poet, rather than focus on telling a story with characters.  Lyric poetry goes back all the way to the Greeks, who would sing the verses of their songs as they played their lyres (stringed instrument), which is where we get the word 'lyric;' with this being said, lyric poetry has a musical quality rhythm to it.

Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death--" certainly has an established rhythm.  The poem itself is twenty-four lines and is divided into quatrains which are stanzas of four lines each.  Each stanza has an established pattern; Dickinson alternates between lines of 8 syllables on the first and third lines of the quatrain, and the second and fourth stanzas are six syllables long.  By keeping the 8-6-8-6 syllable pattern on each line of the quatrain throughout the poem, Dickinson establishes her rhythm. 

For example, let's focus on the first stanza.  The poem begins with:

"Because I could not stop for death--" (1).

This line is eight syllables long, which breaks down into four metrical feet.  A foot equals one unstressed syllable and one stressed syllable, and is a way of measuring stresses and unstressed syllables in a poem.  Here is what the first line looks like broken down into metrical feet:

"Be-cause | I could | not stop | for death--" (1)

Because of its pattern of iambs (a non-stressed syllable and a stressed syllable), this line would be considered iambic tetrameter.  Then, Dickinson's following line of six syllables, which makes into three iambs, would be considered iambic trimeter.

Dickinson's alternating use of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter give "Because I could not stop for Death--" a lovely, rhythmic quality, perhaps reflective of the rocking motion of the carriage in the poem; without a doubt, this poem is a lyric poem, because of the poet's purposeful use of rhythm and rhyme.

In Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death," what is the speaker's attitude?

In Emily Dickinson's poem titled "Because I could not stop for Death," we can see a general attitude of acceptance of the inevitability of death, yet the speaker also shows a natural dislike of death due to its coldness and its permanence.

One element in the poem that best expresses the speaker's attitude of acceptance is imagery. Some of the imagery is very peaceful and even pretty, painting a peaceful, accepting tone. Some examples of peaceful, pretty imagery include "where Children strove / At Recess" and "Fields of Gazing Grain." Both of those images sooth the reader by conjuring up happy, peaceful images, helping to portray a peaceful accepting attitude.

Imagery also serves to paint the speaker's more glum, reserved attitude towards death, such as "The Dews drew quivering and chill." Since this image paints the speaker as being cold and shivering, we can clearly see the speaker thinking of death as a cold and dislikable element. Also, the final diction choice of the word "Eternity" helps us see the speaker's forlorn attitude towards death because the speaker realizes death is an infinite element.

All in all, the speaker accepts that death is inevitable but also sees it as being a very depressing element.

What does the first stanza describe in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson?

The first stanza in Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death—” describes an encounter between the speaker and Death, with Death personified as a carriage driver who stops his carriage in order to pick up the speaker and take her on a ride to Eternity. This encounter is striking for its lighthearted tone; the speaker seems to be going on an everyday ride and the character of Death is described as a gentleman with “kindly” intentions, which is most at odds with the stereotype of Death as the much-feared Grim Reaper. The iambic meter is also at odds with the meaning of the poem. The iambic rhythm (da DUM da DUM da DUM) creates a lively momentum to the lines, and yet the meaning of the lines emphasizes the exact opposite: that the momentum of life has stopped because Death has stepped in to stop it. Dickinson’s use of dashes and capital letters also attempt to break up the inevitable rhythm.

Unlike the driver, Death, who is in control, the speaker has no control. However, she does not resent this. She is not resistant to her fate at all; there is no anxiety or fear. The striving of life is over, and the speaker accepts that immediately; she is content to simply settle in for the ride, especially since the character of Death seems to be so very courteous. The release from life is not fraught with any tortured last moments. The passivity of the speaker suggests a life that may have been spent following its own rhythms (da DUM da DUM da DUM) without thinking too much about where this rhythm of life was taking her. Did the speaker ever take the time to consider life’s meaning, or was she always too busy to deal with such questions? No matter, because Death steps in and takes control.

The fourth line in the first stanza indicates another character as well, “Immortality,” suggesting the hope that the speaker’s last stop will not be the grave but will be an afterlife, “Eternity.” Only at the end of the poem do we learn that the action in the first stanza, the speaker being taken by Death, actually occurred many centuries ago. The gentle cessation of the striving rhythms of life have left a powerful mark on the speaker, who remembers the vivid details of this day, despite the fact that she has been dead for centuries.

What does the first stanza describe in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson?

The first stanza of "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" describes the gentleman caller who appears in order to take the speaker with him in his carriage. This caller is Death personified.

As readers of this poem peruse the stanzas, they realize the gentleman caller is Death. He appears to the speaker in the form of a man, but the mention of the carriage containing only the speaker, driver, and Immortality indicates the driver's role: he is transporting the speaker from her earthly house to the "House" that seems but a "swelling of the ground" with a scarcely visible roof. In other words, Death is carrying the speaker through her life to its end, the grave. As they ride, the speaker views her youth as the children playing at recess in school. She then views the "Fields of Gazing Grain" that represent her maturity into womanhood. Finally, they pass "the Setting Sun" as she reaches the end of her life.

In the final stanza, the speaker addresses her audience from the grave as she recalls her realization that her caller was transporting her "toward Eternity."

Why did Emily Dickinson write the poem "Because I could not stop for Death"? Did this happen in any part of her life?

For many people, death is considered to be absolutely frightening: an unpredictable, often painful, heart-rending experience that we cannot know and can only prepare for in minimal ways. However, Dickinson often saw the world in ways that would surprise and even shock her contemporaries; she seemed to detect occult ways in which humanity and nature were connected, and some of her poems even discuss the presence of magic in the world around us. Therefore, for Dickinson to describe death as one might describe a lover, as someone who shows her courtesy and is desirous that she should have a nice time, is a far cry from other descriptions of death. It is made a lot less frightening and, rather, like the person who is dying is being wooed or courted by someone who takes a special interest in them. She has a number of other poems that seem to present death in new and novel ways; you may want to read "I heard a fly buzz when I died" for comparison. Dickinson was, evidently, interested in providing alternate interpretations of death.

Why did Emily Dickinson write the poem "Because I could not stop for Death"? Did this happen in any part of her life?

One of the frequent charges made against Emily Dickinson is that she was obsessed with death, mortality and dying. This poem is of course one of her poems that fits into these categories, as it personifies Death as a gentleman caller, who takes the speaker on a ride in his carriage. This is a highly imaginative presentation of Death as a non-threatening individual - a proper gentleman caller, who, of course, has a chaperone in the person of Immortality. the speaker in the poem describes what she sees out of the window, and then describes how she begins to feel cold. The house to which death brings her, like a bridegroom conducing his bride to a new home, is a fresh grave. Here, however, they only pause; their ultimate destination lies further on. Moving to the present tense the speaker then reflects back on the moment she first realised she was moving toward "Eternity".

Although such poems initially appear morbid to the present day reader, we need to understand them within the context of the time. There was the constant threat of tuberculosis; what we might consider common unimportant illnesses today, such as pneumonia, then often led to death; even pregnancy and childbirth were far more dangerous than they are now. For Dickinson, as for us all, Death is the one completely unknowable experience, and thus she devoted much of her poetry and time to imagining his many faces. Thus the key thing for you to think about is how Death is presented in this poem and in others.

How does Dickinson powerfully convey ideas about death in her poem "Because I could not stop for Death"?

Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death" uses a series of poetic devices that emphasize the themes and content of the piece. For each, I'll display an example, define the device, and analyze its presence: 

1. Personification: "Because I could not stop for Death- / He kindly stopped for me-"
   the practice of giving human qualities and characteristics to non-human beings or objects
   In Dickinson's poem, death is not a fearsome, alien idea, but a polite gentleman who has "civility" and knows "no haste". As a result, Dickinson transforms a concept that many people fear and actively avoid into a familiar and personable figure who is not to be feared but to be interacted with. 
   
   
2. Metaphor: "We paused before a House that seemed / A Swelling of the Ground- / The Roof was scarcely visible- / the Cornice- in the Ground-"
   a comparison between two unlike things
   Rather than refer to the place where death stops and stays as a tomb or a grave, Dickinson calls it a house, passingly describing it in a manner that implies it is non-descript rather than haunting. By doing so, she normalizes death, comparing the final resting place of a corpse to the commonplace resting place of a living person. Again, she works to normalize death and remove the fear with which it is normally associated. 

In "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson, how does the speaker of the poem personify death?

Throughout the poem, the speaker personifies death, meaning she treats the abstract concept of death as if it were a human, with a body, a gender, a voice, and a personality.

The speaker of the poem accomplishes this personification by

• referring to death with a capital letter, "Death," as if that were its first name;
• ascribing the male gender to death, referring to it with male pronouns: "him" and "he";
• describing specific actions that Death takes, such as riding in the carriage, stopping to pick up the speaker in this carriage, and viewing the sights of the town with the speaker;
• and assigning Death specific emotions and attributes, like "kindly," "civility," and lacking any "haste."

By personifying death so extensively, the speaker invites us to consider the dual nature of death: on one hand, it may appear civil, courteous, and patient, but on the other, death may be sinister and manipulative, removing us from our work and play ("labor" and "leisure") and warping our sense of how quickly time passes.

How does Emily Dickinson use symbolism and figures of speech in her poem "Because I could not stop for Death--"?

Dickinson frames "Because I could not stop for Death--" in an extended metaphor: she is being gently conveyed to her grave in a carriage in which Death is the driver:

We slowly drove--He knew no haste/And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too,/For his Civility--

These lines both establish the overall metaphor for the journey to the grave and employ two different figures of speech--death becomes personified as a carriage driver, and Dickinson employs the rhetorical device of litotes--understatement--when she describes herself not as having died but having "put away" the pursuits of a living person.

In the third stanza, which continues the metaphor of death as a journey, Dickinson observes a school in which children are playing, fields full of crops, and, last, "the Setting Sun," another metaphor for the end of one's life.  With her penchant for startling images, however, Dickinson manages to turn this very conventional metaphor into something fresh: she and Death are not passing the setting sun but rather the sun is passing them, a reminder that, while life has stopped for Death and his companion, life goes on without them.

When they reach "a House that seemed/A Swelling of the Ground--," it is clear that the "House," with its "scarcely visible" roof, is actually the grave to which the two have been driving, a great example of periphrasis--circumlocution--to soften the harsh reality of the grave.

On the whole, Dickinson's use of metaphor and figures of speech in this poem contributes to the sense of revery and calm acceptance of death one feels while reading this poem.  The harsh reality of death is entirely absent from this version of one's death, which is caste in terms of acceptance, peace, emotional objectivity, and the intellectual honesty that allows one to understand that life goes on.

What does Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," suggest about how we should regard death?

To suggest the Emily Dickinson thought a lot about death would be an understatement of considerable proportions.  Her poems, almost all of which were only discovered after her death in 1886, are all that we have to fill in the substantial gaps in her biography.  Not much is known about Dickinson's life, except that it was spent in Amherst, Massachusetts, and that she was regarded as reclusive. That the body of literature discovered posthumously by her sister is so replete with references to death, then, is to present a portrait of a very depressed individual, although how accurate an assessment that is may never be determined.

When reading Dickinson's poems, it becomes apparent that death in and of itself may not have been the preoccupation so much as what comes after death.  In her poem "I Died for Beauty" (title provided posthumously from the opening line), Dickinson wrote:

"I died for beauty but was scarce/ Adjusted in the tomb,/ When one who died for truth was lain/ In an adjoining room...And so, as kinsmen met a night,/ We talked between the rooms,/ Until themoss had reached our lips,/ An covered up our names."

Compare that with the following from "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...Since then - 'tis Centuries -- and yet/ Feels shorter than the Day/ I first surmised the Horses' Heads/ Were toward Eternity."

Dickinson's preoccupation with death and the possibility of an afterlife seemed to haunt her.  In a website the link to which follows, a letter Dickinson wrote to Abiah Root would seem to clarify to what she was referring in her poem:

"Does not Eternity appear dreadful to you...I often get thinking of it and it seems so dark to me that I almost wish there was no Eternity.  To think that we must forever live and never cease to be.  It seems Death which all so dread because it launches us upon an unknown world would be a relief to so endless a state of existence."

Dickinson would appear to have rested more comfortably had she been convinced of the finality of death.  It was fear of the unknown to which she was obsessed, and about which the poem "Because I did not stop for Death" was written.

Explain the poem and especially the carriage in "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson.

Emily Dickinson's poem 479 or "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," approaches an much discussed subject  in an interesting way.  The narrator of the poem is dead and is travelling to her final resting place.

Death appears personified in this poem as a courtly beau who gently insists that the speaker put aside both “labor” and “leisure.”

Death stops and picks up the person because no one wants to meet death. 

The trip has a ready made vehicle: a carriage, or for death, a hearse. Only the dead person and a chaperone, eternity,  ride in the hearse. 

The funeral procession always moves at a snail's pace.  The scenic route to the graveyard moves by the school yard with the children playing games at recess and then a beautiful, sunny field of grain. 

As the journey continues, the sun begins to set.  Figuratively, the setting sun represents the passing of the woman's life over to the other side. Dressed in a funeral shroud and scarf made of delicate lightweight cloth, the corpse feels a chill.

Finally, the hearse pauses before a a swelling of the ground or a grave.  The top of the grave is not visible because it is part of the earth.  Centuries have passed since this person was buried; however, it only seems a few hours since the dead one saw the heads of the horses carrying her body to its tomb.

One of the unusual aspects of the poem comes from the attitude of the narrator.  Death brings no fear to the poet.  It is a part of life, and everyone has to face it.

Because I could not stop for Death –

He kindly stopped for me –

The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

And Immortality.

A person does not stop for death; death has to find the person. Only Emily Dickinson in her brilliance would imagine her demise as though she were going on a date with a handsome boyfriend [Oh, by the way, he is death.] and traveling in his horse and buggy. What is the final stopping point? Destination: the grave!

In Emily Dickinson's poem “Because I could not stop for Death—,” how is Death characterized?

In “Because I could not stop for Death—,” Emily Dickinson presents Death not as a fearful horror but as a considerate companion and knowledgeable guide. Let’s read through the poem in order to better understand how the poet does this.

Death “kindly stopped” for the speaker, knowing that she could not stop for him. He is considerate. The speaker has no fear being with him in the carriage, for Immortality is along for the ride. In other words, Death does not bring the speaker to the end of her existence. Rather, he changes her existence from mortal to immortal.

Death does not hurry the journey. He is calm and slow, driving without haste. The speaker learns these traits from him as she puts away her earthly cares in response to Death’s “Civility,” his courtesy. The journey with Death takes the speaker past the places she knows and then into the unknown, past the “Setting Sun.” They pause briefly before a mysterious house, the speaker’s tomb, perhaps so that the speaker can better understand the nature of what is happening to her. But then they travel on, heading toward Eternity. Indeed, Death is guiding the speaker into eternal life, and in this, he is kind.

Describe "Death" in Emily Dickinson's "Because I could Not Stop for Death".

Death is presented as an actual character in this poem.

The opening two lines immediately establish what kind of person Death is: he appears as a courteous, dignified, and indeed ‘kindly’ gentleman (2) who comes to call on the speaker, in the manner of a suitor. She goes away with him in his carriage, with Immortality as their chaperon.

Death appears so gentle and inviting that it seems the speaker scarcely hesitates to accompany him:

 And I had put away

My labor, and my leisure too,

For his Civility -  (6-8)

The speaker, then, drops everything – both her work and her pleasures – in order to be with Death.

Unlike so many portrayals of death, there is absolutely no suggestion of fear in this poem. Quite the contrary: the speaker actually seems to be lulled into a sense of peace, passing by old familiar sights and sounds before reaching her new home - the cemetery. The slow, even pace of the poem mimics her peaceful journey.

It should be noted, though, that although Death appears so 'kindly', he is not to be resisted. The speaker, although she is busy with life affairs when he comes, gives up everything else to be with him. It is interesting that the coming of death in this poem is figured as a kind of seduction. There is no sense of force or terror, but the speaker is completely in Death’s power, all the same.

In Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop For Death—," what rhymes occur?

In Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop For Death—," the rhyme is irregular. Also note that the author uses "near rhyme," which means that words used as rhymes do not clearly sound like one another. In other words, they are "close but not exact" in sound.

The poem is written in alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter lines, with near rhyme occasionally employed in the second and fourth lines. Regular rhyme occurs sporadically and unexpectedly in its spatial distancing.

Lines two and four rhyme, as Dickinson uses "me" and "immortality," both found at the end of he sentence.

We might consider the use of near rhyme in lines six and eight, with the words "away" and "civility." The fourth stanza also provides an example of near rhyme with the words "Chill" and "Tulle."

The poem told by a dead speaker speaks of how personified death came to take her. It is interesting to note that the pattern of rhyme also supports one of the poem's major themes:

...the seemingly disheveled rhyme scheme in actuality intimates one of the poem’s central themes: unpreparedness.

How does Emily Dickinson treat death in her poem "Because I could not stop for Death"?

In the poem "Because I could not stop for Death," Dickinson treats death as a person.  Giving human traits and qualities to nonhuman things and ideas is a common literary technique.  It is called personification, and it is a main literary technique used in this poem. 

In reality, death marks the end of a biological life.  It is a moment.  It does not have a personality, but Dickinson changes that in this poem.  She turns death into a person.  Treating death as a person is not a new idea. However, Dickinson definitely bucks the traditional personification of death.  Most readers might think of Death as an old guy dressed in all black who carries a scythe, but Dickinson portrays Death as a kindly gentleman.  He pulls his carriage up to her and kindly picks her up.  The two of them then casually and calmly ride through the town's streets.  The poem creates a beautiful image of Death and makes the carriage ride seem similar to a date between two lovers.  

We slowly drove—He knew no haste 

And I had put away 

My labor and my leisure too, 

For His Civility— 

Summarize the poem "Because I could not stop for Death—" by Emily Dickinson.

In the poem 'Because I Could Not Stop For Death' by Emily Dickinson, there is a line'he kindly stopped for me.' The word 'kindly' is tongue-in-cheek here, for most of us do not view death as being very benificent. The word 'kindly' could not be correct anyway - as the poem very neatly puts the point - in that we have no choice about whether to die or not. Every living thing dies at some point, it is the one thing we can still do nothing about despite our super-modern technology. Rather, the word 'kindly' has a role in illustrating for us how Emily Dickinson is viewing him in this particular poem - as a courteous escort who has come to accompany her somewhere (afterlife) and politely presses home his nonetheless unpleasant point by actually coming after her. His point is that it is not possible to be too busy or too important for him and his errand!

What does Emily Dickinson convey in the poem "Because I could not Stop For Death"?

Through this excellent personifiation of Death as a kindly old man driving a carriage, Dickinson seems to present a rather ironic and different impression of death than we usually associate with this figure. Through this personification, Dickinson seems to challenge our own views about death and make us think very carefully about our own lives and expectations of death. Ironically, the speaker of this poem is so busy that they haven't thought about death or prepared themselves for it in any way:

Because I could not stop for Death--

He kindly stopped for me--

Note the irony in the word "kindly." The speaker is so busy that Death has had to stop life for her. This is an impression that is continued throughout the poem, especially in the final stanza:

Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet

Feels shorter than the Day

I first surmised the Horses' heads

Were towards Eternity--

The speaker shows that she is surprised to learn that life is actually a journey towards death and that she seems unprepared for it. The way that our lives are described as being a long ride "towards Eternity" to my mind communicates the challenge of this poem. Dickinson cuts through the business of our lives and the way that we often try to ignore our final fate by telling us that no matter how busy we are, we can't outlive death. We need to accept that our lives are one long journey towards "Eternity," and live our lives accordingly in response.

I need help developing a statement for the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death" by Emily Dickinson.

I assume you are referring to a thesis statement. One of the aspects that critics praise this poem for is the way that Dickinson in this excellent poem manages to tame or domesticate one of the most powerful and unavoidable of human experiences through the use of a metaphor. In this poem, Death is compared to an unexpected ride in a horse-drawn carriage that takes the speaker ever-onward into "Eternity." This should provide ample scope for a thesis statement discussing the presentation of death and how he is transformed from a scary figure into a kind, polite and unhurried gentleman, "kindly" stopping, not knowing any "haste."

Therefore a good thesis statement you might want to use could be:

Through the use of metaphor Dickinson domesticates death.

Consider how death is presented and how the speaker responds to Death in this poem. Good luck!

Identify and explain the mood and tone of the poem, "Because I could Not Stop for Death," by Emily Dickinson.

Emily Dickinson had a clear fascination with death throughout the body of her work. She tended to write about human mortality with moods that were not at all typical of what one might expect from such a subject. "Because I could not stop for Death" is no exception.

The speaker of the poem personifies death as kind and gentle,] and recites the events of her passing in a whimsical, almost childlike way. This seems disconcerting at first, considering the dark nature of the poem's subject matter. However, Dickinson sets a mood that feels comfortable and safe. She uses a meter that reminds the reader of a nursery rhyme. The speaker does not fight death. She simply and comfortably watches the scenes go by as she makes her way to her new "house."

For "Because I could not stop for Death—" by Emily Dickinson, what are the theme and points that help reveal the actual meaning of the poem?

"Because I could not stop for Death—" by Emily Dickinson is a complex poem about human mortality and our journey from birth through life to death. It is highly symbolic and metaphorical, gaining many of its effects by subtle use of imagery and diction. 

The first theme is that Death is not something to be feared. Instead, Death is portrayed as "kindly". Even today, but even more so if one considers the state of medicine in the nineteenth century, Death can be considered kind if it provides an escape from a life with terminal cancer or dementia. Next, Dickinson is writing within a Christian context, in which Death is personified as accompanied by Immortality, suggesting that she views death as not just the end of mortal life but beginning of eternal life.

The journey moves past the ordinary elements of daily life, progressing from a school, symbolizing childhood, and fields, symbolizing adulthood and perhaps fertility, to a small house that is actually a grave. The clothing of the woman is that of a bride, suggesting the role of virgins as brides of Christ in Christian theology.

What conclusive statement can be made from the poem "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson?

To be able to express the point of the poem "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickenson in a conclusive statement, it is first necessary to understand what the poet is saying. In this poem, the narrator is describing her own death and journey to the afterlife. In stating that she "could not stop" living life, she is indicating the human condition. None of us has a predetermined moment when we give up, stop living, and voluntarily die. For most of us, it comes as a surprise. We continue to live our lives until death takes us.

The traditional view of death is as a dark, frightening, skeleton-like figure. However, in this poem, Death is personified as a "kindly" man with "civility" who invites the narrator for a ride in his carriage drawn by horses. Death is accompanied by immortality, which would be comforting to the narrator. Death, the driver, goes "slowly," knowing "no haste," and so on the way the narrator is able to observe a school where children play, a field of grain, and the sunset.

The narrator discovers she is wearing a gossamer gown and a tippet of tulle. A gown of gossamer would be made of light, delicate material. A tippet is a scarf or veil, and tulle is a type of sheer material like silk. We see that her apparel has become thin and ghostlike.

The narrator and Death pause before a house that resembles "a swelling of the ground." Most of it is hidden. This seems to be a description of the narrator's grave. She then says that centuries have passed but it seems like a short amount of time, because Death led her to eternity.

An important point to remember about this poem is that the narrator never even hints at any fear of death. Instead, she describes death as being kind and civil, and her journey leads to immortality and eternity. With this in mind, you could come up with a conclusive statement about the poem that would indicate what you think the poem is trying to say. For instance, you might write: "Death is a positive experience that leads us to eternity." Or: "Death is nothing to fear, because it takes us to an immortal state of existence."