Reading this poem, I felt touched by the beautiful and tranquil atmosphere that Emily Dickinson created while talking about death. The word “safe” is one of the primary devices that adds to tone, and allows for incredibly descriptive imagery of the marble tombs. What really makes this such a successful poem is its second stanza — which is why it’s so interesting to compare the first and second version. The second poem uses a larger amount of caesura (“diadems – drop – and Doges – surrender”), which stretches out the poem. The second stanza feels long and airy, which embodies the lengthy time that is expressed in the poem. Dickinson discusses how the dead are safe and untouched by the world above, who are unaffected by stretches of time as rulers are defeated (11) and kingdoms fall (10). The insignificance of the living world to the dead is compared to snowfall on the ground, which is a metaphor that adds to the calm and tranquil tone. The first version seems to have a clearer message, as its last line remarks on the amount of intelligence (sagacity) that has been lost with the dead. The second version has more ambiguity over its message, as the dead are described as safe and peaceful but also insignificant. They are completely untouched by the living while they wait for the “resurrection”. While they are sleeping and sound, they also have no importance in this world. Whether Dickinson wrote this with the intention of saddening her audience or lifting their spirits by reminding them that nothing matters in death, the peaceful tone of this poem will lift the spirits of many readers over a subject that can be looming and debilitating.