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 speaker here really shows how unprepared she was for this ride with death. She was not properly dressed for a funeral but more of a wedding. The fact that she is dressed for a wedding can maybe suggest that the speaker was to be married, but death stepped in and chose a different path for her.
Because I Could Not Stop for Death