COME slowly, Eden!
Lips unused to thee,
Bashful, sip thy jasmines,
As the fainting bee,
Reaching late his flower,
Round her chamber hums,
Counts his nectars—enters,
And is lost in balms!
Apotheosis
Summary
Apotheosis is a short Emily Dickinson poem that opens with a hushed invitation: "Come slowly, Eden!" A bashful speaker, lips unused to such sweetness, sips jasmine like a fainting bee arriving late at its flower. Over eight compact lines, the bee hums around a chamber, counts its nectars, and enters. The poem lingers on hesitation, longing and surrender, and rewards slow, attentive reading with sensuous imagery and a final moment of bliss.
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