Truth is a frequent topic of many of Emily Dickinson’s
works besides “Tell all the truth but tell it slant –.” Among such poems are the
following:
- “I died for Beauty -- but was
scarce,” which opens as follows:
I died for beauty, but was
scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was
lain
In an adjoining room.
(1-4)
The poem then discusses
the close relationship between beauty and
truth.
- “’Tis so appalling – it exhilarates,”
which includes the memorable line “The Truth, is Bald, and Cold —”
(9). - “A Tongue -- to tell him I am true” mentions truth
in its very opening line. - “Triumph may be on several
kinds” contains the following stanza:
There 's triumph of the finer mind
When
truth, affronted long,
Advances calm to her supreme,
Her God her
only throng.
(5-8)
- “We dream –
it is good we are dreaming” asserts that “Men die – externally / It is a truth – of
Blood” (5-6). - “We learned the Whole of Love” concludes
with the exclamation “Alas, that Wisdom is so large -- / And Truth – so manifold!”
(11-12). - “The Truth – is stirless” contrasts the
reliability and steadfastness of truth with the mutability of almost every worldly thing
and concludes that
Truth stays [that is, supports] Herself – and
every man
That trusts Her – boldly up –
(11-12)
- “Truth –
is as old as God” continues as follows:
His Twin
identity
And will endure as long as
He
A
Co-Eternity
And perish on the
Day
Himself is borne away
From
Mansion of the Universe
A lifeless Deity.
(1-8)
Numerous other
references to “truth” (not to mention such related words as “true”) can be traced or
searched in various complete editions of Dickinson’s poems, all offering fruitful
grounds for comparison and contrast with “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant--.” The
latter poem, however, is by far her most famous treatment of the
topic.
A very useful resource is Stanford Patrick
Rosenbaum, A Concordance to the Poems of Emily Dickinson (Ithaca,
NY: Cornell University Press, 1991).
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