To live in the world of creative imagination, Emily needed to shun the mundane world, which was filled with unacceptable and harsh principles and conditions. To Emily, Truth was transcendence and Beauty was Truth's companion. She could not have tolerated life itself without being able to differentiate, as she put it, "syllable from sound." She would rather have been dead.

I DIED FOR BEAUTY, BUT WAS SCARCE
ADJUSTED IN THE TOMB,
WHEN ONE WHO DIED FOR TRUTH WAS LAIN
IN AN ADJOINING ROOM.

HE QUESTIONED SOFTLY WHY I FAILED?
"FOR BEAUTY," I REPLIED.
"AND I FOR TRUTH,-THE TWO ARE ONE;
WE BRETHREN ARE," HE SAID.

AND SO AS KINSMEN MET A NIGHT,
WE TALKED BETWEEN THE ROOMS,
UNTIL THE MOSS HAD REACHED OUR LIPS,
AND COVERED UP OUR NAMES.