Poem Analysis - Promise This When You Be Dying

A Promise of Possessive Devotion

Emily Dickinson's "Promise This When You Be Dying" is a powerful and somewhat unsettling exploration of love, death, and the speaker's intense desire for connection that transcends the boundaries of mortality. The poem is driven by a fervent, almost desperate tone, as the speaker lays out a series of promises related to the dying and then deceased beloved. This urgency gives way to an almost possessive tone as the poem progresses, highlighting a complex mix of grief, devotion, and a hint of resentment. The mood shifts from a declaration of care to an almost defiant assertion of the speaker's unique and all-encompassing role in the beloved's life and even afterlife. This creates a uniquely intense reading experience.

Devotion and Dominion: Love's Complex Nature

One of the central themes of the poem is love, presented not as a gentle affection, but as a force that demands complete control and devotion even after death. The speaker's repeated use of "Mine" ("Mine belong Your latest Sighing," "Mine to Belt Your Eye") emphasizes this possessive aspect. It suggests a desire to own not just the beloved's life, but also their dying process and their memory. This possessiveness transcends the physical realm as she promises to guard the deceased and control the nature around them. Another prominent theme is mortality. The poem begins at the very edge of death, facing the end of life directly, and dwells on the transition from life to the unknown. The speaker's promises are all concerned with what happens *after* death, underscoring a belief in a continuation of existence and the importance of the speaker's role in that continuation. The speaker also touches on the theme of spiritual yearning. She expresses a wish to follow the beloved beyond death, even to the point of questioning her own spiritual destiny and her perceived exclusion from divine favor.

Eyes, Lips, and Grass: Vivid Imagery of Connection

Dickinson employs vivid imagery to convey the depth of the speaker's feelings. The image of "Belting Your Eye" is particularly striking. While unusual, it suggests a desire to control and contain the beloved's last moments, to be the final image they see. The imagery associated with the senses, like the sighed breath, and the visual nature of belts and the "Low Eyes demand," are all visceral and immediate to the reader. The speaker's lips are portrayed as the only buckle, or closure, for the beloved's "low Eyes." This is a powerful symbol of intimate and complete connection, and a substitution for wealth ("Not with Coins though they be Minted"). The description of grass ("Jealous Grass Greener lean Or fonder cluster / Round some other face") after the beloved's passing contributes to the possessive dynamic. The speaker is demanding that nature itself remain loyal to the beloved's memory, and in doing so, reaffirms her desire to remain central to the dead beloved's legacy.

A Libation of Life: Sacrifice and Imitation

The phrase "Poured like this My Whole Libation / Just that You should see / Bliss of Death Life's Bliss extol thro’/ Imitating You" is both beautiful and disturbing. The image of a "Libation," usually an offering poured out to a deity, suggests the speaker is willing to sacrifice their own life and happiness for the sake of the beloved’s experience of death. This is not selfless love, but more a desire for ultimate and unremitting control over the situation. There is a strong sense of imitation as the speaker wishes to follow the subject, even in death. The "Imitating You" phrase, although short, alludes to a deep bond that influences the speaker's desire to be like the beloved, even beyond the mortal realm.

Denied Heaven: Questioning Divine Justice

The ending of the poem introduces a note of bitterness and perhaps resentment. The speaker's plea to "Madonna" hints at a questioning of religious doctrine and a feeling of being overlooked by God: "Could behold so far a Creature / Christ omitted Me." This sense of being "denied" extends to a feeling of being insufficiently rewarded for the depth of her devotion. "For My Heaven / Had I not been / Most enough denied?" The speaker is suggesting that their love and dedication should be enough to earn them a place in heaven, but suspects that it may not be. This creates a powerful tension between earthly love and divine favor, highlighting the speaker's passionate yet potentially unfulfilled spiritual yearning.

A Final Sigh

In conclusion, "Promise This When You Be Dying" is a haunting exploration of love, death, and the human desire for connection that defies the boundaries of mortality. Through vivid imagery, a possessive tone, and a hint of spiritual questioning, Dickinson creates a complex portrait of a speaker consumed by love and grief, seeking to control even the afterlife of their beloved. The poem leaves the reader pondering the nature of love, the fear of abandonment, and the lengths to which one might go to secure a lasting connection in the face of death. It is a testament to the power of human emotion and the enduring mystery of the afterlife, making it a powerful meditation on human experience.