Because I could not stop for Death: Analysis

In The Book Thief "Death" is also portrayed in a civilized manner which I thought was very similar to to Death in this poem. Source

Summary/What is the tone of the poem?

I was really surprised at the optimistic tone of the poem despite the poem revolving around the theme of death. Usually death is described as morbid, horrifying, and comes to you when you least expect it. However in the poem, the speaker personifies death into a kind gentlemen with who courteously waits for her to prepare herself for the journey towards death. The two last lines of the poem, "I felt surmised the Horses' Heads Were toward Eternity" supports the optimistic tone of the poem with the feeling of hope for eternity. The word "eternity" is also often associated with religion and the hereafter as opposed to the temporary nature of life on earth.

Who is the speaker? What kind of person is the speaker?

As in most of Emily Dickinson's poems, the speaker is ambiguous but more of her personality is revealed in this poem compared to other poems. The speaker seems to be female because she mentions "For only Gossamer, my Gown--My Tippet--only Tulle--" which describes her delicacy.

State the central idea or theme of the poem in a sentence.

The central theme of the poem is that when death approaches you and takes you away, life goes by without you and death essentially makes you immortal.

Discuss the diction of the poem.

In the poem, the words associated with death all have civil connotations, in both manners and societal matters, that give "Death" respect and authority.  "He kindly stopped for me" shows civil manners and portraying death as thoughtful and respectful. The words "carriage", "labor", and "leisure" in the first and second stanza all relate to overall daily life indicating transportation, work, and entertainment. In the third stanza "school", "Children", and "Recess" describe childhood while the "Fields of Gazing Grain" reflect adulthood and labor. Therefore there is a contrast between childhood and adulthood which indicate the impact of the passage of time as Death and the speaker "passed the Setting Sun".

Imagery

We passed before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground--
The Roof was scarcely visible--
The Cornice--in the Ground--

The fifth stanza of the poem is a great example of Dickinson's use of imagery in her poems. "a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground" is referring to a grave that is submerged into the ground. It is called a "House" because that's where dead bodies are sheltered in when they're buried. "Roof" and "Cornice" are both architectural properties of the house and in the poem both of these structures can barely be identified because it reveal destruction and lack of structure. Like death, the destruction of the roof and cornice shows the collapse of life and how death gives you a new home. The use of imagery in this stanza emphasizes the contrast between the house of death and the house of life.