Asleep
By Emily Dickinson
As far from pity as complaint,
As cool to speech as stone,
As numb to revelation
As if my trade were bone.
As far from time as history,
As near yourself to-day
As children to the rainbow's scarf,
Or sunset's yellow play
To eyelids in the sepulchre.
How still the dancer lies,
While color's revelations break,
And blaze the butterflies!
Poem Analysis:
Emily Dickinson’s poem Asleep is a striking meditation on death, stillness, and perception. It captures the eerie detachment of the deceased from the world of the living, using Dickinson’s characteristic brevity and vivid imagery.
Theme and Meaning
The poem explores themes of death, the passage of time, and the contrast between life and stillness. Dickinson presents death as an existence removed from human emotions (“As far from pity as complaint”), emphasizing the numbness and inaccessibility of the dead. The detachment from time (“As far from time as history”) reinforces the idea of death as a realm where past and present dissolve into irrelevance.
There is also an exploration of perception versus reality. The deceased, metaphorically described as a dancer lying still, is unmoved by the vibrant life that continues (“And blaze the butterflies!”). This contrast highlights the way death silences even the most expressive and dynamic individuals.
Structure and Literary Devices
Dickinson employs her signature short lines and dashes, creating a sense of fragmentation and finality. The poem follows an irregular meter, reinforcing the theme of disruption that death brings.
- Metaphor: The speaker compares their detachment to that of bone, reinforcing an image of lifelessness and rigidity (“As numb to revelation / As if my trade were bone”).
- Contrast: The poem juxtaposes life and death, especially in the final stanza, where the still dancer is placed alongside the vibrant imagery of color and butterflies.
- Symbolism: The references to rainbows and sunsets evoke beauty and transience, underscoring how death severs one from the natural splendor of the world.
Asleep is a powerful reflection on the finality of death and the separation it creates between the living and the departed. Dickinson’s use of stark imagery, concise language, and contrasts between movement and stillness invites readers to contemplate the nature of existence and the inevitable quietude of death. The poem, like much of Dickinson’s work, leaves a haunting impression, reminding us of the ephemeral nature of life and the enduring mystery of what lies beyond.