Because 'twas Riches I could own,
Myself had earned it — Me,
I knew the Dollars by their names —
It feels like Poverty
An Earldom out of sight to hold,
An Income in the Air,
Possession — has a sweeter chink
Unto a Miser's Ear —
-
-
Because I could not stop for Death—
He kindly stopped for me—
The Carriage held but just Ourselves—
And Immortality.
We slowly drove—He knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility—
We passed the School, where Children strove
...Could Hope inspect her Basis
Her Craft were done —
Has a fictitious Charter
Or it has none —
Balked in the vastest instance
But to renew —
Felled by but one assassin —
Prosperity —Could I — then — shut the door —
Lest my beseeching face — at last —
Rejected — be — of Her?Could — I do more — for Thee —
Wert Thou a Bumble Bee —
Since for the Queen, have I —
Nought but Bouquet?Extol thee — could I? Then I will
By saying nothing new —
But just the truest truth
That thou art heavenly.
Perceiving thee is evidence
That we are of the sky
Partaking thee a guaranty
Of immortalityFalsehood of Thee could I suppose
'Twould undermine the Sill
To which my Faith pinned Block by Block
Her Cedar Citadel.How happy I was if I could forget
To remember how sad I am
Would be an easy adversity
But the recollecting of Bloom
Keeps making November difficult
Till I who was almost bold
Lose my way like a little Child
And perish of the cold.I could die — to know —
'Tis a trifling knowledge —
News-Boys salute the Door —
Carts — joggle by —
Morning's bold face — stares in the window —
Were but mine — the Charter of the least Fly —
Houses hunch the House
With their Brick Shoulders —
Coals — from a Rolling Load —...I could not drink it, Sweet,
Till You had tasted first,
Though cooler than the Water was
The Thoughtfullness of Thirst.