Lyric Poem · Death & Loss

For Death—or rather

by Emily Dickinson

For Death — or rather

For the Things 'twould buy —

This — put away

Life's Opportunity —

The Things that Death will buy

Are Room —

Escape from Circumstances —

And a Name —

With Gifts of Life

How Death's Gifts may compare —

We know not —

For the Rates — lie Here —

Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.

“For Death—or rather” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/for-death-or-rather

Quick facts

Poem: For Death—or rather
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 12 lines
Form: Lyric Poem
Themes: Death & Loss

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape: 12 lines · 3 quatrains
End rhyme: No regular perfect end rhyme. The poem may still be using slant rhyme, assonance, or internal echo, which this check does not score.

Want the rules this form is measured against? Read what makes a lyric poem, or run your own draft through the form checker to see the same measurements on your lines. How we measure · Report a mistake

Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record: Emily Dickinson1830–1886
Source record: PoetryDBFor Death—or rather by emily-dickinson, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 b434f6514820a9c8…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

Jurisdiction-specific, never a worldwide claimRights policy Report a text or rights issue

Lyric Poem Death & Loss

Keep reading

Annabel Lee

Edgar Allan Poe · 1849

It was many and many a year ago,In a kingdom by the sea,That a maiden there lived whom you may know

41 lines · ballad

Remember

Christina Rossetti · 1862

Remember me when I am gone away,Gone far away into the silent land;When you can no more hold me by the hand,

14 lines · sonnet

When I Am Dead, My Dearest (Song)

Christina Rossetti · 1862

When I am dead, my dearest,Sing no sad songs for me;Plant thou no roses at my head,

16 lines · lyric

More poems about death →