Saturday, November 19, 2011

Theme of Death: "I died for Beauty - but was scarce"

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 - Themself are One -
We Brethren, are," He said -

And so, as Kinsmen, met a Night -
We talked between the Rooms -
Until the Moss reached our lips -
And covered up - our names -

     Dickinson's "I died for Beauty - but was scarce" has a recurring theme of death. The speaker of the poem has died and explains that they have died for beauty. The idea behind the phrase "but was scarce" implies that the speaker died for a purpose but failed in their objective. The speaker mentions another person who died for the purpose of truth. This person is buried beside the speaker and they, the speaker and this other person, discuss death.
     They both conclude that death is a form of failure. The "one who died for truth" asks why he died. The speaker says, "For beauty." The other supposes he also dies for truth and that truth and beauty are one in the same. The two believe that since they have failed in life, they are almost like brothers. They spend the rest of eternity conversing about their failure.
     The general moral of this poem is that one should not waste their entire life trying to reach a goal that will only end in failure. The other person mentioned in the poem died searching for some truth while the speaker died searching for lost beauty. Dickinson implies that the ulimate failure of a long sought-after goal is death.

14 comments:

  1. I think this poem also about the importance of honesty. Dickinson claims that truth and beauty are one in the same.

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  2. I think that she refers to them as one in the same since they are both sought-after goals. But yeah, I can see the honesty part.
    -Stephen

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  3. I think Emily had"beauty is truth. .truth is beauty "in her mind .the one lain adjusantreminded me of John keats

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  4. I think ..Emily had"beauty is truth,truth is beauty "in her mind .the one lain adjusant to het reminded me of John keats
    Laleena

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  5. I don't understand this poem.Anybody here??? Can you help me to understand this poem???

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  6. i think the poem is about to fail for death.no matter why you die:beauty or truth.it is fate to face death.that makes all of us equal.

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  7. I think that death is so beautiful rather than life.

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  8. she wanted to tell people in her opinion that dying is beautiful and not depressing. She showed it throughout the poem.

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  9. I have an entirely different understanding of this poem. They both risked their lives for a purpose and they both failed to maintain their lives. The only failure is death. But one had a dignified and valued death (truth) that people appreciated by giving them a big tomb whilst beauty was undervalued and put in a small tomb, barely adjusted to it, despite those two things being one and the same. Time erased their names but their cause remained merged.

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    Replies
    1. In my opinion, the poem is about how aesthetics and the arts are undervalued.

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  10. Very good and logical explanation. Thank you so much.

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  11. Here the author wants ta say that I am trying of my level best for beauty and it will continue till death ,so author welcome us all to follow the path of beauty,honesty or tightness .

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  12. I think ,this poem reffers that 'no matter how and when you die is just matter you should always true to your word and mind .And also do good things as far as you lived ....

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