Emily Dickinson

I died for beauty, but was scarce

Summary

This poem explores themes of beauty, truth, and the bond between individuals who share similar values, even beyond death. The narrative begins with a deceased speaker who is laid to rest shortly before another person is interred in a neighboring tomb. The second individual claims to have died for truth, paralleling the first speaker's devotion to beauty. As they converse quietly in their adjacent graves, they recognize their ideals as intertwined and label themselves as kindred spirits or brethren. Their dialogue continues into eternity, undisturbed by the gradual encroachment of nature as moss slowly envelops their lips and erases their names, symbolizing the transient nature of identity and the enduring connection between beauty and truth.

Read Online

I died for beauty, but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.

He questioned softly why I failed?
“For beauty,” I replied.
“And I for truth,—the two are one;
We brethren are,” he said.

And so, as kinsmen met a night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names.

Related tags
, , , , , , , , ,