Death & Dying
There's a certain slant of light
Death & Dying
There's a certain slant of light,
On winter afternoons,
That oppresses, like the weight
Of cathedral tunes.
Heavenly hurt it gives us;
We can find no scar,
But internal difference
Where the meanings are.
None may teach it anything,
'T is the seal, despair, --
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the air.
When it comes, the landscape listens,
Shadows hold their breath;
When it goes, 't is like the distance
On the look of death.
Cite this poem
MLA
Dickinson, Emily. “There's a certain slant of light.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/dickinson/74/.
Chicago
Dickinson, Emily. “There's a certain slant of light.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/dickinson/74/.
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