what dose Emily Dickinson mean in this poem?

Question

what is the meaning on the surface and deeper meaning of this poem

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, be passed us;
The dews grew quivering and chill,
For only gossamer my gown,
My tippet only tulle.

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

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.

Answer 1

Most of Emily's poems have to do with death; she was obsessed with it. I think this poem has alot to do with it also. She is passing or reminiscing days gone by, imagining the day of her death, the coldness of it and the gown she will forever rest in. The swelling of the ground, I think represents her grave. The roof is barely visible looking up from her grave.The centuries feel shorter than the days, time is nothing when you are dead.

Answer 2

This poem is talking about Emily's life.
She has no time to enjoy her life, so Death comes and takes her, and shows her what she has lived through.
She talks about passing through the school where children play (her childhood), and the passing sun, and so on, to arrive to the cementary, where she is now dead. It could be interpreted as Death giving her that last glimpse of life that she didn't seem to have time to enjoy.


It could also be interpreted as a very feminist poem, identifying marriage as death. Because she could not stop for death(for marriage), he kindly stopped for me (man forces her into marriage anyway).

She puts away her labor and her leisure( she stops her work, and hobbies) for his civility (to please her husband).
We passed the School, where Children strove( time goes by, they have children, watch them grow)

We passed the setting sun,
or rather He passed Us (they watch time go by, but it is really time that is passing HER by, much too slowly)
The Dews drew quivering and chill, for Gossamer, my gown (gossamer, a thin material, often used for wedding gowns)
My tippet, only Tulle (tippet is a thin netted shawl or veil, ie, wedding veil)

We paused before a house that seemed
a Swelling in the ground (a cementary)
The roof was barely visible
The Cornice in the ground

Since then(since she's been married) tis Centuries-and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses Heads
Were toward Eternity--

This last stanza tells us that she's been married for years, for centuries, but time is passing so slowly, that it feels as if though she's only been married for a day.

Emily fell in love twice, both times with a married man. She was heartbroken. She never got married. I, MYSELF, like this interpretation better. And I like to think that this poem is her, telling herself that it's a good thind that she never got married, because if she married a man she would have had to give up her life and her work.

Interpret it as you wish.

Answer 3

She's looking back over her life, from her childhood to the now, and coming to the full realization that each day draws her closer to her death.
In other words, by virtue of the ticking off of the days of our lives, we're all in a carriage drawn by death, with the horses pulling it toward our eventual death and eternity, one day at a time.

Answer 4

isn't that poem about a life lived in fear of death until one day we fear it so much it's actually happens to us; and our lives passed us by worrying about when we are going to die instead of living life while we can appreciate it?

Answer 5

To me it means life , death , time , and spirit .

Answer 6

sorry i have to do my own homework right now