Emily Dickinson

The last night that she lived

Summary

The poem reflects on the experiences and emotions of witnessing the final night in the life of a woman. It begins by describing how this seemingly ordinary night is transformed by the gravitas of impending death, prompting those present to notice minor details that had previously gone unnoticed. The poem explores themes of mortality, existence, and the human tendency to become acutely aware of life’s fragility in the face of death. There is a sense of envy towards the woman who is dying, as she is about to experience the profound unknown of death, while the observers remain in the world of the living. As they await her passing, the moment is filled with a tense silence until the actuality of her death arrives. Her death is portrayed as a subtle acceptance, where she lightly and quietly ceases to be. The observers then perform the final respectful acts of preparing the body, leaving them in an uneasy state where they must confront and realign their faith and understanding of life and death.

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The last night that she lived,
It was a common night,
Except the dying; this to us
Made nature different.

We noticed smallest things,—
Things overlooked before,
By this great light upon our minds
Italicized, as ‘t were.

That others could exist
While she must finish quite,
A jealousy for her arose
So nearly infinite.

We waited while she passed;
It was a narrow time,
Too jostled were our souls to speak,
At length the notice came.

She mentioned, and forgot;
Then lightly as a reed
Bent to the water, shivered scarce,
Consented, and was dead.

And we, we placed the hair,
And drew the head erect;
And then an awful leisure was,
Our faith to regulate.

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