Tell all the Truth but tell it slant
Emily Dickinson
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant— Success in Circuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth's superb surprise As Lightning to the Children eased With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be blind—
Of note
The poem's first line gave its title to Tell It Slant, Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola's 2004 guide to writing creative nonfiction. The book reached a third edition in 2019.
Poetry Tale: The Mistress and the Manuscripts
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TEXT PROVENANCE · First published 1945 · Text from UPenn’s Johnson-numbered transcription, checked against Amherst Manuscript #372 (c. 1868).
Amherst Manuscript #372 (about 1868), Johnson transcription cross-check
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