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Tell all the truth but tell it slant—
by Emily Dickinson
Tell all the truth but tell it slant—
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—
_____________________
This 8 line poem by Emily Dickinson provides advice on the telling of “truth.” It is unclear what truth the Speaker refers to herein and the poem’s meaning is thus open the Reader’s interpretation to some degree.
The poem is structured by alternating meters – the odd-numbered lines being in iambic tetrameter and the even-numbered lines in iambic trimeter. The 2nd and 4th lines rhyme, as do the 6th and 8th lines. The first and third lines, as well as the 5th and 7th lines are half-rhymes, also called slant rhymes. From poemanalysis.com:
Imperfect rhymes are interesting in that they allow the reader to feel some unity and song-like qualities from the words in multiple lines of poetry while also not creating a perfect pattern, one that might make the poem seem too contrived. Perfect rhymes are capable of connecting to phrases or ideas in the reader’s mind in the same way that perfect vibes are.
The combination of the alternating meter, and the nature of the rhymes, gives this poem a hymnal feel, in my opinion.
Dickinson employs her trademark hyphenations and random capitalizations throughout the poem.
Lines 1 and 2:
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
The poem begins with a command to tell the entire truth, but to do so slyly, or in a not obvious fashion. Line two explains that telling the truth in a circuit, a round about way, will aid one’s cause.
Lines 3 and 4:
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
These lines explain the command of line one. She argues that one must not tell the truth, too directly, because the truth is “too bright” for that and because human beings are too weak (“infirm”) for that. The picture she thus paints of the truth is of the sun – one must not look directly at it when attempting to view it.
Lines 5 and 6:
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
In these lines the Speaker compares the truth to something else that is bright in the sky, namely lightning. She says that the fear and understanding of lightning is eased in children when it explained, in a way that does not occur when it is observed.
These lines are the Speaker’s example of a situation wherein people tell the truth “slant.” Showing lightning directly is less effective, in helping one to understand it, than explaining it in a roundabout way.
Lines 7 and 8:
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—
In these lines, the Speaker argues the obvious – that staring at a bright light is not the best way to understand it. The Reader should conclude that truth – whatever mysterious truth is referred to here – must be understood in the same manner. The effect of leaving truth a mystery is that at the poem’s conclusion, the Reader must think and consider what if any truth might properly be compared to a bright and blinding light.
This is one of my favorite Dickinson poems. It is a clever and well-crafted piece that leaves me at its conclusion in an enjoyable contemplation.
