Throughout Emily Dickinson's poetry, there is a recurring theme of death and immortality. The theme of death is further separated into two broad categories, including the curiosity Dickinson had about the process of dying and the feelings that accompany it and the reaction to the death of a loved one. Two of Dickinson's many poems that contain a theme of death include: "Because I could not stop to die" and "After great pain, a formal feeling comes." In Dickinson's poem "Because I Could Not Stop to Die", Dickinson depicts what it is like to experience the process of dying. According to Mark Spencer of the Explainer, the speaker describes death as a two-step process. This particular poem is said to make more sense if read from the perspective that reconciliation with God is a delayed process. In this poem, the speaker has ended his existence on earth but has not yet reached the final stage. The horses pull the carriage “towards Eternity”, which suggests that the last step has not yet been taken. The speaker says that the "centuries" seem "shorter than the day", implying that although an end will come, it will not come soon. Even if it is said that the end will not come soon, it will seem like nothing to those who have passed away. A grave is compared to a house when the carriage passes a "swelling of the ground", because in fact the speaker will remain in this house until her last day. The speaker then becomes "quivering and cold" while wearing her thin and flimsy clothes, but then realizes that the clothes have become appropriate for what is to come. The speaker states that the car is on pause only because the current state it is in is only temporary (Spence). They say the speaker looks death in the eye and escapes... middle of paper ... because I couldn't stop to die. » Dickinson depicts her feelings of death and death through the eyes of the dying. . In this poem, the reader learns what it means to experience death. In “After Great Pain, Formal Feeling Comes,” Dickinson personifies death and the feelings that accompany it. Although the deceased has no feelings, Dickinson compares the two to better understand the feelings that accompany the loss of a loved one. Works Cited Engle, Patricia. “Because I Couldn’t Stop to Die” by Dickinson. The Explainer (2002): 72. Manley, Francis. "An Explanation of Dickinson's 'After Great Pain'." Modern Language Notes (1958): 260-264.Shaw, MN Dickinson's “Because I Couldn't Stop to Die.” The Explainer (1991): 20.Spence, Mark. "Dickinson 'Because I Couldn't Stop to Die'." The explainer (2007): 95.