We never know we go

Emily Dickinson's We never know we go

Emily Dickinson’s “We never know we go” is a compact yet profoundly meditative poem that grapples with the inevitability of death and the human tendency to remain oblivious to life’s most significant transitions. Composed in her signature elliptical style, the poem distills complex existential themes into just four lines, demonstrating Dickinson’s unparalleled ability to convey depth through brevity. This essay will explore the poem’s historical and cultural context, its literary devices, central themes, and emotional impact, while also considering Dickinson’s biographical influences and philosophical underpinnings.

Historical and Cultural Context

To fully appreciate Dickinson’s poem, one must situate it within the broader 19th-century American cultural landscape, particularly the era’s preoccupation with mortality. The Victorian period was marked by high mortality rates due to disease, war, and limited medical advancements, leading to a cultural fascination with death—evident in the popularity of elegies, mourning rituals, and spiritualist movements. Dickinson, living in reclusive isolation in Amherst, Massachusetts, was deeply attuned to these themes, often exploring them with a blend of metaphysical inquiry and psychological acuity.

Additionally, Dickinson’s work reflects the tension between Calvinist doctrine, which emphasized predestination and divine sovereignty, and the emerging Transcendentalist movement, which championed individual spiritual experience. Her poetry frequently interrogates the unknowability of death, resisting dogmatic certainty in favor of ambiguity and personal reflection. “We never know we go” aligns with this tradition, presenting death not as a dramatic event but as an unnoticed passage, a quiet closing of doors rather than a grand departure.

Literary Devices and Structure

Despite its brevity, the poem employs several sophisticated literary devices that enhance its thematic resonance.

1. Paradox and Irony

The opening line, “We never know we go,” establishes an immediate paradox: the act of “going” (a metaphor for death) is something we remain unaware of as it happens. This irony underscores the poem’s central tension—human beings are constantly moving toward an end they cannot perceive until it has arrived. The jesting in the second line further amplifies this irony; even in the face of an inexorable fate, humans remain frivolous, shutting doors without realizing they are sealing their own passage.

2. Personification of Fate

Fate is personified as an active, almost bureaucratic figure who “following behind us bolts it.” This imagery suggests an inescapable, mechanical inevitability—death is not a random occurrence but a deliberate, final act administered by an unseen force. The verb “bolts” conveys both finality and imprisonment, reinforcing the idea that once death occurs, there is no return.

3. Metaphor of the Door

The door serves as a potent metaphor for the threshold between life and death. The act of shutting it casually (“We jest and shut the door”) implies a lack of awareness, while Fate’s subsequent bolting suggests that the transition is irreversible. This metaphor resonates with other Dickinson poems, such as “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died –,” where death is similarly framed as a quiet, almost mundane event.

4. Ellipsis and Dashes

Dickinson’s characteristic use of dashes creates a halting, contemplative rhythm, forcing the reader to pause and absorb the weight of each phrase. The opening line’s dash (“We never know we go, — when we are going”) introduces a moment of hesitation, mirroring the uncertainty surrounding death. The dashes also contribute to the poem’s enigmatic quality, leaving space for multiple interpretations.

Themes

1. The Unknowability of Death

The poem’s central theme is the impossibility of truly comprehending death until it has occurred. Dickinson suggests that humans live in a state of perpetual ignorance regarding their own mortality—we “jest” through life, unaware that each moment brings us closer to an end we cannot foresee. This aligns with her broader skepticism toward definitive answers about the afterlife; her poetry often dwells in the liminal space between certainty and doubt.

2. The Illusion of Agency

The poem subtly critiques the human belief in control. We “shut the door” as if by choice, yet it is Fate that ultimately seals our fate. This tension between autonomy and determinism reflects Dickinson’s engagement with Calvinist theology, which posited a predetermined divine plan, as well as her own existential inquiries into free will.

3. The Banality of Death’s Arrival

Unlike Romantic depictions of death as a dramatic or heroic event, Dickinson presents it as an understated, almost administrative process. There is no fanfare, no moment of revelation—just a door being closed and locked. This treatment strips death of its grandeur, rendering it eerily mundane, which in some ways makes it more unsettling.

Emotional Impact

The poem’s emotional power lies in its quiet devastation. There is no lamentation, no overt grief—only the chilling realization that death comes without warning and without ceremony. The tone is resigned yet piercing, evoking a sense of existential unease. The finality of “we accost no more” is particularly haunting; the verb “accost” suggests an abrupt end to interaction, as though the dead are not only gone but entirely severed from the realm of the living.

Dickinson’s restraint amplifies the poem’s emotional weight. By avoiding sentimentality, she forces the reader to confront death’s impersonal nature, making the experience of reading the poem akin to stumbling upon a truth one would rather ignore.

Comparative Analysis

Dickinson’s treatment of death can be usefully compared to that of other poets. For instance, John Donne’s “Death Be Not Proud” personifies death as a transient, conquerable foe, whereas Dickinson presents it as an indifferent, inevitable force. Similarly, Walt Whitman’s “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” mourns death through expansive, lyrical grief, while Dickinson’s approach is minimalist and philosophical.

A closer parallel might be found in the works of Thomas Hardy, whose poems often depict fate as an uncaring mechanism. Hardy’s “The Convergence of the Twain” (on the sinking of the Titanic) shares Dickinson’s sense of inexorable destiny, though his tone is more overtly pessimistic.

Biographical and Philosophical Insights

Dickinson’s personal life undoubtedly influenced her preoccupation with death. Having experienced numerous losses—including friends and relatives—she was no stranger to mortality. Her reclusive existence may have also heightened her sensitivity to life’s fleeting nature, leading her to scrutinize death with both fear and fascination.

Philosophically, the poem resonates with existentialist thought—particularly the idea that humans live in a state of “bad faith” (Sartre’s term), ignoring their mortality until it is too late. It also echoes Heidegger’s concept of “being-toward-death,” which posits that an authentic existence requires an acknowledgment of death’s inevitability. Dickinson, however, does not advocate for such awareness; rather, she laments its impossibility.

Conclusion

“We never know we go” is a masterclass in concision and depth, encapsulating Dickinson’s ability to distill vast existential questions into a few precise lines. Through paradox, metaphor, and understated irony, she captures the unsettling truth that death is both inevitable and imperceptible in the moment of its arrival. The poem’s power lies in its quiet devastation—its refusal to offer comfort or resolution, instead leaving the reader with the haunting realization that life’s most significant transition is one we will never consciously experience.

In this way, Dickinson does not just write about death; she makes us feel its silent approach, its irrevocable finality. And in doing so, she reminds us of poetry’s unique capacity to articulate the ineffable—to give form to the very things we cannot see until they have already passed us by.

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