Treatment of death in Emily Dickinson's 'Because I could not stop for Death'

'Because I Could Not Stop for Death' is one of Emily Dickinson's most enigmatic poems regarding death. The idea of death in this poem is not portrayed as lonely or scared, but as serene and content. She treated death as more like a person rather than just an event in one's life. In this poem the speaker is communicating from beyond the grave, and describing her journey with death.

Death is one of the foremost topics in Dickinson's poetry. Death is sometimes gentle, sometimes menacing and sometimes simply inevitable. In 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death', she personifies death and presents it as an actual character who is gentle and kind in nature, who kindly takes away the speaker for the expedition to the eternity.

The poem starts with the titled line where death is personified by the use of capital D. The opening stanza immediately establishes what kind of person Death is:

     "Because I could not stop for Death -

 He kindly stopped for me-

The carriage held but just ourselves -

And immortality. "

Here, death appears as a courteous, dignified and, indeed, a kind gentleman 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.

In this poem death is presented as an actual character.  He appears personified - so gentle and civil. He gently insists that the speaker should put aside 'Labor' and 'Leisure '. The speaker scarcely hesitates to accompany him:

"And I put away

My labor and my leisure too,

For his civility-"

The speaker then, drops everything, both her works and her pleasure in order to be with death.

No doubt, their outing is not one to fear. Death is personified as one who is welcomed to stop by. Here, death is a gentleman caller. He stops by for a date. He is sensitive and wooing. There is no terror involved. They drive slowly around all the familiar sites. The journey is one kind of leisure which is a pleasant experience:

"We passed the school, where children strove -

At recess- in the ring-

We passed the gazing grain-

We passed the setting Sun."

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 sites and sounds before reaching to her new home - the cemetery. Death took her on a pleasant ride like her 'fiancé' and dropped her by a new house which is grave- her eternal residence.

"We paused before a house that seemed

A swelling on the Ground."

It should be noted that, although death appears so 'kindly ' he is not to be resisted.  The speaker of the poem, although she is busy with life affairs, when death comes, gives up everything else to be with death. 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 control.

Death is not treated as a fearsome or menacing phenomenon which puts the end to someone's life. Rather, it is treated as a mild or kind gentleman who kindly takes the speaker, who is too busy, to immortality by taking her in her carriage with civility. Here, Death is patient, thoughtful and a courteous gentleman. The poetess is impressed by Death's exceptional behavior.