In Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”

In Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, she wants us the readers to look at death as a new adventure that awaits, rather than an end to existence. Death is often described as an evildoer, but Dickinson described death as a fine nobleman who came to her aid and took her away in a carriage to eternity. She sees death as a journey. In the first stanza, Dickinson personifies death, stating that because she “could not stop” for him, he “kindly stopped” for her. Death is described more as an unexpected, yet surprisingly welcome visitor. She portrays a carriage in the scene, and could guess that they were going somewhere. Just the tone alone of the first stanza makes you feel that she is comfortable with death. The carriage ride is symbolic of the author’s departure from life. She is in the carriage with death “and immortality”.