Not in this world to see his face
Sounds long, until I read the place
Where this is said to be
But just the primer to a life
Unopened, rare, upon the shelf,
Clasped yet to him and me.
And yet, my primer suits me so
I would not choose a book to know
Than that, be sweeter wise;
Might some one else so learned be,
And leave me just my A B C,
Himself could have the skies.
Credits
Emily Dickinson was a 19th-century American poet, widely regarded as one of the most original voices in English literature. Known for her reclusive life in Amherst, Massachusetts, she wrote nearly 1,800 poems, most published only after her death. "The First Lesson" reflects her recurring preoccupation with mortality and the bonds that outlast — or resist — it.
