Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, I READ MY SENTENCE STEADILY, by EMILY DICKINSON


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

I READ MY SENTENCE STEADILY, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
Last Line: And there the matter ends
Subject(s): Judgements; Death; Law; Stoicism


I read my sentence steadily,
Reviewed it with my eyes,
To see that I made no mistake
In its extremest clause, --
The date, and manner of the shame;
And then the pious form
That "God have mercy" on the soul
The jury voted him.
I made my soul familiar
With her extremity,
That at the last it should not be
A novel agony,
But she and Death, acquainted,
Meet tranquilly as friends,
Salute and pass without a hint --
And there the matter ends.
I reckon, when I count at all,
First Poets - then the Sun -
Then Summer - then the
Heaven of God -
And then the list is done.
But looking back - the first so seems
To comprehend the whole -
The others look a needless show,
So I write Poets - All.
This summer lasts a solid year,
They can afford a sun
The East would deem
Extravagant,
And if the final Heaven
Be beautiful as they disclose
To those who trust in them,
It is too difficult a grace






Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net