To J.w
Set not thy foot on graves; Hear what wine and roses say; The mountain chase, the summer waves, The crowded town, thy feet may well delay. Set not thy foot on graves; Nor seek to unwind the shroud Which charitable time And nature have allowed To wrap the errors of a sage sublime. Set not thy foot on graves; Care not to strip the dead Of his sad ornament; His myrrh, and wine, and rings, His sheet of lead, And trophies buried; Go get them where he earned them when alive, As resolutely dig or dive. Life is too short to waste The critic bite or cynic bark, Quarrel, or reprimand; 'Twill soon be dark; Up! mind thine own aim, and God speed the mark.
To J.w - meaning Summary
Respect the Dead, Mind Goals
Emerson warns against disturbing the dead or dwelling on their faults. He counsels respect for customary mourning and rejects prying into a deceased person’s possessions or past errors. Instead of indulging critics or cynics, the speaker urges readers to focus on their own aims and make the most of a short life. The poem frames restraint and personal purpose as more productive than posthumous judgment or petty opposition.
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