Lyric Poem · Death & Loss

I died for Beauty—but was scarce

by Emily Dickinson · 1890

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 — Themself 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 —

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“I died for Beauty—but was scarce” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/i-died-for-beauty

Quick facts

Poem: I died for Beauty—but was scarce
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Published: 1890
Length: 12 lines
Form: Lyric Poem, Short Poems
Themes: Death & Loss, Life, Short

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.
Line length: Consistent with common metre. Alternating eight- and six-syllable lines — the hymn stanza (8.6.8.6), the most-used quatrain in English verse.

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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: PoetryDBI died for Beauty—but was scarce by emily-dickinson, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: 1890
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 5c49af51124ac549…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Short Poems Death & Loss Life Short

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