My Favourite Poems: Emily Dickinson, Because I could not stop for Death (479)

I promised that, during the course of National Poetry Month, I would share some of my favourite poems and poets with you. I'll start today with one of my all time favourites: "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 Tippet – only 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 –

(It should be fairly obvious but, for peace of mind, I'll remind you that I, of course, do not own the rights to this poem.)

Even though I've read this hundreds of times, it never fails to give me a chill. Could any one handle Death with such 'Civility'? I couldn't - but this poem isn't just about Death, it's also about Life - and I have yet to (and may never) meet either with such objective serenity.