I haven’t told my garden yet —
Lest that should conquer me.
I haven’t quite the strength now
To break it to the Bee —
I will not name it in the street
For shops would stare at me —
That one so shy — so ignorant
Should have the face to die.
The hillsides must not know it —
Where I have rambled so —
Nor tell the loving forests
The day that I shall go —
Nor lisp it at the table —
Nor heedless by the way
Hint that within the Riddle
One will walk today —
well i enjoy this poem it has a flow and it is is to say infront of class!!
Sarcasm, I don’t think so.
She just doesn’t feel she is entitled or justified to face the challenge of the riddle of death yet. Maybe she is also a little sorry she has to die so young. She is not mature and ready yet. She loves nature, like Emily did, and she thinks even the bee would question her facing that riddle so soon. She considers nature to be mature and worthy. So, I don’t think she is mocking her place, she is just humble.
Apart from that, there is a clear religious tone in the poem, the riddle of death being a possible higher level of existence. So, in this poem Emily/”the I person” is also sort of exited about the chance that there might be something after life, after all.
It was the first poem I read by her and I was immediately totally breathtaken by the rhymes and humility and sweetness. I just love this poem. Almost made me believe 🙂
Wow. This poem sounds like sarcasm to me.
She is mocking her place in the world, probably thinking it is NOT very insignificant.