Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

4.25.4: 355 (It was not Death, for I stood up)

  • Page ID
    63958
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    It was not Death, for I stood up,
    And all the Dead, lie down —
    It was not Night, for all the Bells
    Put out their Tongues, for Noon.

    It was not Frost, for on my Flesh
    I felt Siroccos — crawl —
    Nor Fire — for just my Marble feet
    Could keep a Chancel, cool —

    And yet, it tasted, like them all,
    The Figures I have seen
    Set orderly, for Burial,
    Reminded me, of mine —

    As if my life were shaven,
    And fitted to a frame,
    And could not breathe without a key,
    And ‘twas like Midnight, some -

    When everything that ticked — has stopped —
    And Space stares all around —
    Or Grisly frosts — first Autumn morns,
    Repeal the Beating Ground —

    But, most, like Chaos —Stopless — cool —
    Without a Chance, or Spar —
    Or even a Report of Land —
    To justify — Despair.


    4.25.4: 355 (It was not Death, for I stood up) is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

    • Was this article helpful?