We slowly drove, he knew no haste

We slowly drove, he knew no haste,

And I had put away

My labor, and my leisure too,

For his civility.

These lines are the opening stanza of the poem "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson.

The poem is a meditation on the nature of death, and Dickinson portrays Death not as a terrifying figure, but as a gentlemanly driver who takes the speaker on a leisurely ride in his carriage. The speaker describes how she put aside her work and her leisure activities in order to join Death on his journey.

The poem is often interpreted as an allegory for the journey of life and the inevitability of death. Dickinson suggests that death is not something to be feared, but rather a natural part of the cycle of life, and that we should approach it with calmness and acceptance.