Even though Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" has a theme of death and decay, the tone of the poem is not bitter. Instead, Death is a gracious companion in the poet's review of life. The poet seems almost pleased to die in order to have Death's company.
The typical orthodox view of death is that it is something to be feared. Yet the idea of having a pleasant and relaxing ride toward the afterlife is what dominates the poem. In fact, the very first line of the poem implies that ordinary life is very cluttered. The poet has too many things to do or to think about and does not think of cosmic matters. That is why she cannot "stop for death." Death, however, "kindly stopped for me." The kindness was that the poet seems to have died in her sleep; she is dressed only in a gossamer gown. Now she realizes that she did not have to fear it in life. Death is the ultimate simplifier of life.
In death, the poet, like Death, can focus her spirit without getting delayed by everyday details of living. That is made clear in the second stanza, when the poet uses alliteration to make her comment clearer. She says she has "put away/My labor, and my leisure too," it is plain that she has put away not only life but everything connected with the processes of filling up days with activity, hopes, and fears. Death disposes of them in a way that is comforting.
This does not mean that "Because" is exactly a cheerful poem. Repetition of the phrase "We passed" has a more serious and thoughtful tone. It calls up an image of movement through time in a cosmic sense. The rhythm of the phrase suggests a progression from earliest life to final death. There are three images: a schoolyard, a farm field, and sunset. They can be interpreted as metaphors for the three stages of human life. At the schoolyard, a child plays and studies. As an adult, he works in the field for a living. At sunset, all is over. Schorer, et al. say that is a meta...