The Truth In Emily Dickinson's Tell All The Truth

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Most readers of Emily Dickinson's "Tell all the Truth but tell it slant-" consider the poem a straightforward endorsement of a policy of indirection. Properly mediated in this way, truth becomes not only truth but wisdom". "Tell all the Truth but tell it slant-" does purport to offer advice on how Truth with a capital T ought to be expressed. Immediately, an insidious ambiguity thrusts itself into consideration as the speaker explains how one goes about telling the Truth "Slant": to achieve success in the Truth business, one must rely upon "Circuit"-a circuitous route, a roundabout way that involves hiding part of the Truth. Employing this method ultimately succeeds in producing "Lies"-just as the speaker seemingly unwittingly says: "Circuit lies." The speaker may mean to say that success "Lies" in circuitousness; but, in the more …show more content…
The next two lines contain a predicate/subject arrangement of words that, to withhold "Surprise" until the very end, backs into a statement about man's "Infirm" ability to "Delight" in Truth: "Too bright for our infirm Delight / The Truth's superb surprise". It is also worth noting that the speaker is either lacking in awareness or intentionally misleading her listeners, for Truth is no guarantee of delight at all. This fact, which contradicts what the speaker has so far held, is covertly acknowledged in what follows: "The Truth's superb surprise" that must be held back sounds ominous, for if we consider the original meaning of "Surprise", then we know there might not be much delight in surprise. This image, as a parallel for Truth, immediately appears in the speaker's mind, though she immediately undermines this hint of authentic insight. According to her, all adults must be offered Truth as though they were children: As Lightning to the Children eased With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be
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