"Was not" By Emily Dickinson [Analysis]

"Was not" was all the Statement. [1] The Unpretension stuns [2] Perhaps the Comprehension [3] They wore no Lexicons [4] But lest our Speculation [5] In inanition die [6] Because "God took him" mention [7] That was Philology [8]
Poem 1342 [F1277] ""Was not" was all the Statement" Analysis by David Preest [Poem]

Thomas Johnson says that this poem was inspired by the sentence in Genesis which describes the career of Enoch, the sixth descendant of Adam. The sentence runs, 'And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him' (Genesis 5:24). Emily seems to be saying that if we only remember the words 'and he was not,' we shall be stunned by this bald statement, and can only think that in Enoch's day comprehension was poor as 'they wore no Lexicons.' But when such a brief statement means that we are running out of material for 'Speculation,' we should mention that the writer adds the words 'God took him,' and God is subject matter for 'Philology,' if ever anything was. Johnson also suggests that the poem may be an elegy on the death of her own father.
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