Emily Dickinson

A train went through a burial gate

Summary

The piece describes an evocative scene where a train passes through a cemetery gate, and a bird begins to sing vibrantly, filling the churchyard with its song. The bird's singing is portrayed with intensity and a sense of purpose, as it continues to adjust its notes before bowing and singing once more. The scene is depicted in a way that suggests the bird's song is a form of farewell to the people buried there, implying themes of continuity of life and the natural cycle amidst the solemnity of death. This succinct imagery evokes a blend of motion and stillness, juxtaposing the journey of the train with the static peace of the cemetery. It features themes of transience, the intersection of life and death, and the persistence of nature’s song through it all.

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A train went through a burial gate,
A bird broke forth and sang,
And trilled, and quivered, and shook his throat
Till all the churchyard rang;

And then adjusted his little notes,
And bowed and sang again.
Doubtless, he thought it meet of him
To say good-by to men.

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