"I cannot live with You" is one of American poet Emily Dickinson's longest poems—and perhaps one of her most tormented. The poem's speaker tells a beloved that they "cannot live" together, not because their love is insufficient, but because it's overpowering. The thought of sitting beside this beloved's death bed (or worse, being separated from them in the afterlife) is simply too much for the speaker to bear; they'd rather endure the "Despair" of parting now than face those trials later. Like most of Dickinson's poems, this one wasn't discovered until after her death. It was first printed in the posthumous collection Poems (1890).
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1I cannot live with You –
2It would be Life –
3And Life is over there –
4Behind the Shelf
5The Sexton keeps the key to –
6Putting up
7Our Life – his Porcelain –
8Like a Cup –
9Discarded of the Housewife –
10Quaint – or Broke –
11A newer Sevres pleases –
12Old Ones crack –
13I could not die – with You –
14For One must wait
15To shut the Other's Gaze down –
16You – could not –
17And I – Could I stand by
18And see You – freeze –
19Without my Right of Frost –
20Death's privilege?
21Nor could I rise – with You –
22Because Your Face
23Would put out Jesus' –
24That New Grace
25Glow plain – and foreign
26On my homesick eye –
27Except that You than He
28Shone closer by –
29They'd judge Us – How –
30For You – served Heaven – You know,
31Or sought to –
32I could not –
33Because You saturated sight –
34And I had no more eyes
35For sordid excellence
36As Paradise
37And were You lost, I would be –
38Though my name
39Rang loudest
40On the Heavenly fame –
41And were You – saved –
42And I – condemned to be
43Where You were not
44That self – were Hell to me –
45So we must meet apart –
46You there – I – here –
47With just the Door ajar
48That Oceans are – and Prayer –
49And that White Sustenance –
50Despair –
1I cannot live with You –
2It would be Life –
3And Life is over there –
4Behind the Shelf
5The Sexton keeps the key to –
6Putting up
7Our Life – his Porcelain –
8Like a Cup –
9Discarded of the Housewife –
10Quaint – or Broke –
11A newer Sevres pleases –
12Old Ones crack –
13I could not die – with You –
14For One must wait
15To shut the Other's Gaze down –
16You – could not –
17And I – Could I stand by
18And see You – freeze –
19Without my Right of Frost –
20Death's privilege?
21Nor could I rise – with You –
22Because Your Face
23Would put out Jesus' –
24That New Grace
25Glow plain – and foreign
26On my homesick eye –
27Except that You than He
28Shone closer by –
29They'd judge Us – How –
30For You – served Heaven – You know,
31Or sought to –
32I could not –
33Because You saturated sight –
34And I had no more eyes
35For sordid excellence
36As Paradise
37And were You lost, I would be –
38Though my name
39Rang loudest
40On the Heavenly fame –
41And were You – saved –
42And I – condemned to be
43Where You were not
44That self – were Hell to me –
45So we must meet apart –
46You there – I – here –
47With just the Door ajar
48That Oceans are – and Prayer –
49And that White Sustenance –
50Despair –
I cannot live with You –
It would be Life –
And Life is over there –
Behind the Shelf
The Sexton keeps the key to –
Putting up
Our Life – his Porcelain –
Like a Cup –
Discarded of the Housewife –
Quaint – or Broke –
A newer Sevres pleases –
Old Ones crack –
I could not die – with You –
For One must wait
To shut the Other's Gaze down –
You – could not –
And I – Could I stand by
And see You – freeze –
Without my Right of Frost –
Death's privilege?
Nor could I rise – with You –
Because Your Face
Would put out Jesus' –
That New Grace
Glow plain – and foreign
On my homesick eye –
Except that You than He
Shone closer by –
They'd judge Us – How –
For You – served Heaven – You know,
Or sought to –
I could not –
Because You saturated sight –
And I had no more eyes
For sordid excellence
As Paradise
And were You lost, I would be –
Though my name
Rang loudest
On the Heavenly fame –
And were You – saved –
And I – condemned to be
Where You were not
That self – were Hell to me –
So we must meet apart –
You there – I – here –
With just the Door ajar
That Oceans are – and Prayer –
And that White Sustenance –
Despair –
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of the poem.
The Poem in Dickinson's Hand — See a manuscript of the poem at the Emily Dickinson Archive.
The Emily Dickinson Museum — Visit the Dickinson Museum's website to learn more about Dickinson's life and work.
Dickinson's Loves — Learn more about Dickinson's love poetry (and the loves that likely inspired it).
Dickinson's Influence — Listen to contemporary writer Jo Shapcott discussing what Dickinson means to her.