Because I Could Not Stop for Death

How does Dickinson personify Death in the opening stanza?

• As a terrifying force

• As a kind and patient gentleman

• As an indifferent bystander

• As a figure of authority

What effect does calling Death “kindly” have on the reader’s expectations?

• It makes Death seem friendly and non-threatening

• It creates a sense of urgency

• It suggests the speaker is resisting Death

• It implies that the speaker regrets the journey

What is the significance of the carriage ride’s slow pace?

• It symbolizes that death is unexpected

• It emphasizes a peaceful transition

• It reflects the speaker’s fear of dying

• It suggests the speaker is trying to escape

What is implied by the speaker putting away her “labor and leisure”?

• She is reluctantly accepting death

• She is eager to move on

• She is leaving behind earthly concerns

• She regrets her past choices

What do the children playing, the grain fields, and the setting sun symbolize?

• Different stages of life

• Different seasons of the year

• The regrets of the speaker

• The physical journey to the afterlife

How does Dickinson’s repetition of “passed” reinforce the theme?

• It mimics the way people ignore death

• It suggests a slow but inevitable movement

• It contrasts with the speaker’s fear

• It symbolizes a refusal to accept death

What does the “house” in stanza 4 most likely represent?

• The speaker’s childhood home

• The speaker’s final resting place

• A moment of reflection

• A place of regret

Why does the speaker describe the house as “swelling of the ground”?

• To emphasize its size

• To suggest it is unfamiliar

• To symbolize a burial mound

• To compare it to a grand mansion

What does the phrase “Since then – ’tis Centuries – and yet” reveal?

• The speaker regrets taking the journey

• Time feels endless in the afterlife

• The speaker is waking from a dream

• The speaker wishes she had more time

How does the shift from present to past tense contribute to the poem’s meaning?

• It shows the speaker has entered a different state of being

• It suggests uncertainty about the afterlife

• It emphasizes the speaker’s anxiety

• It indicates she is still transitioning