38 pages 1 hour read

Emily Dickinson

Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1890

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What mode of transportation does the speaker enter at the poem’s beginning and ride for the duration of the poem?

A) a train

B) a taxi

C) a wagon

D) a carriage

2. Who or what is the other passenger riding alongside the speaker?

A) Civility

B) Immortality

C) Dew

D) Gossamer

3. Which of the following is one of the scenes the speaker passes on her journey?

A) children playing at school

B) farmers milking their cows

C) the postman delivering mail

D) trees being cut down

4. What is significant about the speaker’s clothing?

A) It’s heavy, therefore making it difficult for her to move.

B) It’s not appropriate to wear in public.

C) It’s clothing she borrowed from someone else.

D) It’s thin, therefore contributing to the chill she feels.

5. What does the speaker realize has been the destination all along?

A) the forest

B) the afterlife

C) a stable

D) the sun