We Thirst at First ’Tis Nature’s Act
poem 726
We Thirst at First ’Tis Nature’s Act - meaning Summary
Thirst as Spiritual Yearning
The poem compares physical thirst and a later, spiritual longing. Dickinson contrasts an ordinary, bodily thirst satisfied by simple water with a deeper want revealed near death. The small gesture of asking for water becomes a symbol pointing to a greater, adequate supply beyond life. The concluding image names that ultimate fulfillment "Immortality," suggesting the poem treats death as the context for a transcendent, restorative desire.
Read Complete AnalysesWe thirst at first ’tis Nature’s Act And later when we die A little Water supplicate Of fingers going by It intimates the finer want Whose adequate supply Is that Great Water in the West Termed Immortality
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