If you were coming in the fall

“Because I could not stop for Death –” by Emily Dickinson (1890)

In perhaps Dickinson’s most famous poem, she personifies death as a young man riding a carriage. In the poem, death takes the speaker on a ride to the afterlife as the speaker passes scenes from her life. While the speaker is traveling with Death, the tone is calm and peaceful, making death feel like a natural thing not to be feared. This poem is also a lyric ballad.

“‘Hope’ is the thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson (1891)

Another famous Dickinson lyric ballad, this poem focuses on hope and salvation through the metaphor of a bird. While the poem is generally considered to be focused on the idea of salvation, it is one of Dickinson’s most complex, and it allows for multiple interpretations.

“A wounded deer leaps highest” by Emily Dickinson (1890)

This cryptic lyric ballad uses the image of a deer that has just been shot to comment on the way people put on brave faces when they are in anguish. This is similar to the feeling she expresses throughout “If you were coming in the Fall,” as she tries to express bravado in the face of crushing despair.