Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Emily Dickinson holds a special place in the firmament of American writers. Although she lived in the 19th century and seldom left her home region in Massachusetts, her poetry speaks to readers of all ages and backgrounds. Dickinson possessed a singular poetic style, characterized by inventive punctuation, powerful efficiency, and deep inquiry of the human experience. Her poem “Because I could not stop for Death” has become a touchstone for readers encountering Dickinson for the first time.

Editor Ralph W. Franklin, who compiled the now-definitive edition of Emily Dickinson’s poetry in 1998, places “Because I could not stop for Death” at number 479 in his chronological sequence of the poet’s work. (An earlier compilation numbered the poem at 712.) This poem transforms the typical imagery associated with end of life in Dickinson’s day into a dreamy and somewhat secular meditation on death, time, and the human soul. This poem also features the meter and rhyme scheme common in Christian hymns.

Poet Biography

Emily Dickinson lived from 1830 to 1886. She spent her life at her family home in Amherst, Massachusetts.