Emily Dickinson's attitude towards death in "Because I Could not Stop for Death"

Emily Dickinson wrote a large number of poems on the subject of death. Death receives a varied treatment in her writing.  Very often her treatment is unconventional and original.  In some of her death poems,  Dickinson attempts an imaginative construction  of her own death.  She then seems to be a character at the centre of a drama.

In the poen discussed,  death comes as a cunning courtier to woo the poet.  The poet,  busy with her earthly activities,  has not sought Death.  Rather,  Death has kindly stopped at her house to carry her away,  as a lover carries her beloved away.  Again,  Death at this time is not alone but has Immortality as its companion. This suggests that Death is carrying the poet to her bridal room in heaven.

The poem shows Dickinson's triumphs over death,  as she is ready to accept it in a calm and quiet mood.  She puts away "labour" and her "leisure too" because she is impressed by the ''Civility '' of death.  When the carriage begins its journey it has three characters - the poet, Death abd immortality.  They were gradually passing by the word of the livings symbolized by the school children playing in the ring.  Then they leave behind the fields of the gazing grain and the setting sun. The feelings that they are gradually coming out of the sense of time and space is expressed in the following lines : 

We passed the Setting Sun-Or rather -He passed us -

In other words, they have just now left behind them a life that is confined to time and space. In the conventional manner, death is associated with the setting of the sun and also with dampness and cold as the poet suddenly becomes aware of her dress: 

“For only Gossamer, my Gown My Tippet—only Tulle—”, 

It is clear from the description that their journey is from life to death and eternity. 

Finally, the poet reaches the house of death. This house is her grave “A Swelling of the Ground.” Since then, she is not conscious about the passage of time. Probably several centuries have passed by. But she feels that centuries are shorter than the day when she realized that the horses’ head is pointing towards eternity. Dickinson imagines a post-death Situation. The image of the horses’ head conveys the awesome power and majesty associated with death. 

Thus, the poem finely expresses Dickinson’s view about death. The poet indicates to the inevitability of death, minimizing, at the same time, its fearful aspect. Although there is an ironic touch in the narrative, We find the poet’s sincere belief in immortality and heaven. In fact, Dickinson expresses her attitude to death and Immortality in a symbolic language.