Belshazzar had a Letter —
He never had but one —
Belshazzar’s Correspondent
Concluded and begun
In that immortal Copy
The Conscience of us all
Can read without its Glasses
On Revelation’s Wall —
Belshazzar had a Letter —
Analysis, meaning and summary of Emily Dickinson's poem Belshazzar had a Letter —
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Some won’t know this, but the poem is a retelling of what happened in the Book of Daniel. Belshazzar was the king of Babylon. His “correspondent” is Daniel, his cupbearer who became a prophet for his interpretation of the king’s dreams. Revelation’s Wall is a play upon the expression “the writing on the wall” (Chapter 5) and is simply saying the root of the word of Revelation was begun in the prophecies of Daniel 500 BC. Quaint!