Because I could not stop for Death
Because I could not stop for Death-- He kindly stopped for me-- The Carriage held but just Ourselves-- And Immortality. We slowly drove--He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For his Civility-- We passed the School, where Children strove At recess--in the Ring-- We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain-- We passed the Setting Sun-- Or rather--He passes Us-- The Dews drew quivering and chill-- For only Gossamer, my Gown-- My Tippet--only Tulle-- We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground-- The Roof was scarcely visible-- The Cornice--in the Ground-- Since then--'tis Centuries-- and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses Heads Were toward Eternity--
I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, And Mourners to and fro Kept treading--treading--till it seemed That Sense was breaking through-- And when they all were seated, A Service, like a Drum Kept beating--beating--till I thought My Mind was going numb And then I heard them lift a Box And creak across my Soul With those same Boots of Lead, again, Then Space--began to toll, As all the Heavens were a Bell, And Being, but an Ear, And I, and Silence, some strange Race Wrecked, solitary, here-- And then a Plank in Reason, broke, And I dropped down, and down-- And hit a World, at every plunge, And Finished knowing--then--
The Soul selects her own Society
The Soul selects her own Society-- Then--shuts the Door-- To her divine Majority-- Present no more-- Unmoved--she notes the Chariots--pausing-- At her low Gate-- Unmoved--an Emperor be kneeling Upon her Mat-- I've known her--from an ample nation-- Choose One-- Then--close the Valves of her attention-- Like Stone--
Of all the Souls that stand Create
Of all the Souls that stand create-- I have elected--One- When Sense from Spirit--files away-- And Subterfuge--is done-- When that which is--and that which was-- Apart--intrinsic--stand-- And this brief Tragedy of Flesh-- Is shifted--like a Sand-- When Figures show their royal Front-- And Mists--are carved away, Behold the Atom--I preferred-- To all the lists of Clay!
At Half past Three, a single Bird Unto a silent Sky Propounded but a single term Of cautious melody. At Half past Four, Experiment Had subjugated test And lo, Her silver Principle Supplanted all the rest. At Half past Seven, Element Nor Implement, be seen-- And Place was where the Presence was Circumference between.