I think
Death and the Maiden is the standard interpretation of
Piazza Piece. The play of that against stereotypical southern gentility is for me the major driver of the poem's effect.
The image of
Death as a southern gentleman in a dustcoat is a beauty. It reminds me of the legendary (& perhaps historical) mystery man who politely assisted women in jumping from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, 1911,
here.
— Woody