Emily Dickinson

One dignity delays for all

Summary

This poem explores the inevitability and universality of death, portraying it as a dignified and solemn event. It employs the imagery of regal and ceremonial aspects, such as a purple crown and a procession with coaches, footmen, and bells, to convey the gravity and respect associated with life's final moment. The poem suggests that death is an event that transcends social status, as every individual, regardless of rank, receives the same dignified recognition when they pass. The notion of presenting our meek escutcheon and claiming the rank to die highlights the shared human experience of mortality, emphasizing that death is the great equalizer, offering the same inevitable conclusion to all lives. The poem evokes contemplation about the end of life, reminding readers of the solemn yet inevitable nature of this final transition.

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One dignity delays for all,
One mitred afternoon.
None can avoid this purple,
None evade this crown.

Coach it insures, and footmen,
Chamber and state and throng;
Bells, also, in the village,
As we ride grand along.

What dignified attendants,
What service when we pause!
How loyally at parting
Their hundred hats they raise!

How pomp surpassing ermine,
When simple you and I
Present our meek escutcheon,
And claim the rank to die!

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