A Toad Can Die of Light!
A Toad Can Die of Light! - meaning Summary
Mortality Levels All Beings
This short poem reflects on mortality and the equalizing effect of death. Dickinson points out that death is the shared fate of all creatures, from toads to men, earls to midges, and uses the contrast to question human pride. The final lines undercut any claim to superiority by noting that a tiny gnat’s importance can be as great as a human’s, implying that social rank or swagger is meaningless in the face of common vulnerability. The tone is concise, ironic, and morally leveling.
Read Complete AnalysesA toad can die of light! Death is the common right Of toads and men,– Of earl and midge The privilege. Why swagger then? The gnat’s supremacy Is large as thine.
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