We thirst at first—’tis Nature’s Act—

We thirst at first—’tis Nature’s Act—
And later—when we die—
A little Water supplicate—
Of fingers going by—

It intimates the finer want—
Whose adequate supply
Is that Great Water in the West—
Termed Immortality—


      -F750, J726, Fascicle 36, 1863


This poem would be fairly easy to follow if Dickinson's ideas about Immortality were easier to comprehend. What Emily Dickinson means by “Immortality” in her poems goes far beyond the usual definition of the word. In one of her letters she writes, "It may be she came to show you Immortality." So what is it she came to show us? The following quotes are all taken from her letters.

"No heart that break
but further went than
immortality."

"Emerson's intimacy with
his "Bee" only
immortalized him."

"The risks of immortality
are perhaps its charm."

"A letter always seemed
to me like Immortality,
for is it not the Mind
alone, without corporeal friend?"

"Dear friend, can you walk,
were the last words that I wrote her.
Dear friend, I can fly-
her immortal reply."

"An hour for books
those enthralling friends
the immortalities"

"The immortality of flowers
must enrich our own."

See what I mean by difficult to pin down?

This poem makes a connection between a natural desire for water, and a finer desire for Immortality, symbolized by "that Great Water in the West." This begs the question of what the connection between a natural thirst and spiritual thirst might be. What is this connection? Thirst is a biological response necessary to maintain the body's required need for H20. There is an evolutionary basis to it.

Inside of time, thirst makes sense. It makes sense because a fuel-based energy system could only exist inside of time. Something has to keep you going. Thirst can only exist inside of in time, and time can only exist, you might even say, because of thirst. Time and thirst are inextricable.

Being material creatures we are stuck in this order of time, poignantly and wonderfully so.

But what might this finer spiritual thirst for Immortality be? Is fuel needed in the world of spirit? Can there be any desire at all when you have Immortality?

Might what we are thirsting for be no more thirsting? And, if so, isn't that what death is?

Okay, back to the poem.

And later—when we die—
A little Water supplicate—
Of fingers going by—

Later —when we die— we are still supplicating for water. To supplicate is to beg earnestly. It starts from birth and ends with the grave. Life is a beggar’s banquet to quote Mick Jagger.

...fingers going by—

We take our water from fingers going by, such a touching, tender image, brushing fingertips as they hand us water, fingers that are warm, tingling, reaching, full of the energy of life.

It intimates the finer want—
Whose adequate supply

Dickinson internally rhymes "supplicate" with "intimate" and then "adequate." This rhyme stands out in this poem. There is something intimate and supplicating in this poem, something leading us toward the "adequate."

What is this finer want that leads us to the adequate supply? I don't think finer means better here (because how can you get better than water?) but rather finer as in more refined, more subtle.

Is that Great Water in the West—
Termed Immortality—

That Great Water in the West. What is it? Is it beauty? Like the beauty of a sun setting in the West? Is it Truth? The sunset represents the glory of an inflamed love upon the poignancy of leaving.

Perhaps it is being fully present and aware of our mortality that leads us to Immortality.


       -/)dam Wade l)eGraff

Immortality by William Michael Harnett, 1876

P.S. It is worth repeating this quote one more time:

"No heart that break
but further went than
immortality."