Compassion Quote by Emily Dickinson
““I read my sentence steadily, Reviewed it with my eyes, To see that I made no mistake In its extremest clause, — The date, and manner of the shame; And then the pious form That "God have mercy" on the soul The jury voted him. I made my soul familiar With her extremity, That at the last it should not be A novel agony, But she and Death, acquainted, Meet tranquilly as friends, Salute and pass without a hint — And there the matter ends.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Jury” (unpublished), 1865
The speaker reflects on a death sentence, seeing it as a solemn, inevitable transition, and finds calm in the companionship of death.
In simple terms: Death is portrayed as a calm, inevitable companion.
Key Takeaway
Accept death with composure.
Themes
mortality
acceptance
inevitability
solace
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- grieving process
- legal judgments
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
existential reflection
poetic contemplation
spiritual resignation
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to meet death as a friend?
- How does this view affect coping with loss?
A Different Perspective
The poem may romanticize death, overlooking grief.
