Because I could not stop for death

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,
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 grew quivering and chill,
For only gossamer my gown,
My tippet only tulle.

We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.

Since then ’tis centuries, but yet
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses’ heads
Were towards eternity.

About This Poem

Emily Dickinson’s Because I Could Not Stop for Death takes an unusual approach to one of life’s hardest subjects. Instead of fear or sadness, it describes death as a quiet journey, told with calmness and gentle curiosity.

Some families choose this poem because they admire Dickinson’s writing. Others find comfort in the way it encourages a different way of thinking about life’s end. It can be a good fit for a non-religious funeral or a service with a strong literary feel. There are no easy answers in these words. Instead, the poem offers a moment to reflect and draw your own meaning from it.

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