I Died For Beauty

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



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.

About this poem

"I Died for Beauty" is a poem by Emily Dickinson that explores the idea of the afterlife and the concept of eternal beauty.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified by acronimous on March 14, 2023

24 sec read
4,085

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXA XXXX XXXX
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 373
Words 85
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

All Emily Dickinson poems | Emily Dickinson Books

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1 Comment
  • Aparna Deb
    Aparna Deb
    add bangla translation,pls.
    LikeReply4 years ago

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"I Died For Beauty" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/11738/i-died-for-beauty>.

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Which poet is associated with the poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?
A Langston Hughes
B Maya Angelou
C Ralph Waldo Emerson
D Emily Dickinson