“I died for Beauty – but was scarce – Summary”
Emily Dickinson’s poem “I died for Beauty – but was scarce” is a short, contemplative meditation on death, truth, beauty, and the ephemeral nature of identity.
In the poem, the speaker describes having recently died “for Beauty” and being laid to rest in a tomb. In the next tomb lies someone who died for Truth. Upon speaking, the two discover a deep kinship—suggesting that Dickinson views Truth and Beauty as closely related or even identical values.
The two begin to speak softly through the walls of their graves, symbolizing a desire for connection even after death. However, moss slowly grows, eventually covering their names and silencing their voices, a powerful image that reflects the inevitable fading of memory, identity, and even ideals over time.
The tone of the poem is quiet, reflective, and mournful, and its message suggests that while humans may die for noble causes, even the most cherished values like truth and beauty are eventually forgotten or erased by time and nature.