Funeral reading
Because I could not stop for Death
Emily Dickinson
“Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson is a poem read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about a minute and a half read aloud, usually by a guest reader. It is in the public domain, so the full text is printed on this page and goes straight into a ceremony script.
The full text
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 —
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
What it is about
Calm rather than comforting. For a reader who will not rush the dashes.
Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: death as a courteous driver · unhurried · literary · a teacher · strange and calm.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Because I could not stop for Death” take to read aloud?
“Because I could not stop for Death” takes about a minute and a half read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.
Who usually reads “Because I could not stop for Death”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Because I could not stop for Death” runs about a minute and a half, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.
Can “Because I could not stop for Death” be printed in a ceremony script?
Yes. It is in the public domain, so the full text is on this page and can be printed in a script or an order of service.
Where this text was checked
en.wikisource.org · en.wikisource.org
Wording confirmed through a reputable secondary source that reproduces someone else’s transcription. Due a check against a primary edition.
Checked
A reading is two minutes of the hour.
The rest is the welcome, the life, the remembrances, the committal — and knowing what comes next. Answer some questions about them and get the whole service, written out, with this reading in its place.