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I died for beauty but was scarce Adjusted in the tomb…

“I died for beauty but was scarce Adjusted in the tomb, When one who died for truth was lain In an adjoining room. He questioned softly why I failed? "For beauty," I replied. "And I for truth, the two are one; We brethren are," he said. And so, as kinsmen met a night, We talked between the rooms…” quote by Emily Dickinson
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“I died for beauty but was scarce Adjusted in the tomb, When one who died for truth was lain In an adjoining room. He questioned softly why I failed? "For beauty," I replied. "And I for truth, the two are one; We brethren are," he said. And so, as kinsmen met a night, We talked between the rooms, Until the moss had reached our lips, And covered up our names.”

Emily Dickinson

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Beauty and truth die together, questioning their failure, yet they remain united as a shared pursuit.

In simple terms: Beauty and truth are linked.

Key Takeaway

Honor both ideals.

Themes

beauty truth death

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

literary poetic

When to use this quote

  • artistic creation
  • academic study
  • personal reflection

Key Concepts

philosophical metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does beauty mean to you?
  • How do you reconcile truth with loss?
A Different Perspective

Truth may outlive beauty.

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