Why does Dickinson set the poem “Dying” in an ordinary bedroom, which isn’t even described? What might be her purpose in choosing this setting as opposed to somewhere outside or in a public place? Is the choice of setting significant in any way?

Dickinson makes the experience of death universal by setting her poem in an ordinary bedroom. She creates a deathbed scene and describes bare necessities such as the state of the people gathered around her and her “keepsakes,” which she has willed away, to portray the responsibilities that go with dying. The choice of this setting as opposed to a public place shows the poet’s realistic and almost matter-of-fact approach toward death. The bedroom setting allows Dickinson to keep some descriptions simple and direct, void of sentimentality.

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