Illustration by Chris Riddell
Manuscript
F479A Because I could not stop for death
Because I could not
stop for Death -
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 Cornice - in the Ground -
Since then - 'tis Centuries -
and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the
Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity -
stop for Death -
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 Cornice - in the Ground -
Since then - 'tis Centuries -
and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the
Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity -
j712 Because I could not stop for death--
Because I could not stop for Death --
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 Cornice -- in the Ground --
Since then -- 'tis Centuries -- and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses Heads
Were toward Eternity --
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 Cornice -- in the Ground --
Since then -- 'tis Centuries -- and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses Heads
Were toward Eternity --
p90-120 the chariot
Because I could not stop for Death,
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 played,
Their lessons scarcely done;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.
We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.
Since then 't is centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.
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 played,
Their lessons scarcely done;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.
We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.
Since then 't is centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.