Tell all the truth but tell it slant

Dickinson uses double meaning with the concept of “slant,” as some end-rhymes have more assonance than exact rhyme scheme, also known as “slant rhyme.” For example, the following word pairs contain similar rhymes: Lies, surprise (Lines 2, 4), with their slant variations being: delight, kind, blind (Lines 3, 6, 8). The words “eased” and “gradually” also contain slant rhyme (Lines 5, 7). This creates a double meaning with “slant.” Like a slanted truth, they are all slightly different variations of the same long vowel sounds (long -i and long -e), and the sounds themselves have a comforting tone when spoken aloud.

“Tell all the truth but tell it slant” is an eight-line lyric poem, iambic in meter, with each line alternating between six and eight syllables.

Dickinson matches short lines with iambic pentameter to evoke an upbeat rhythm, juxtaposing the two with controlled pauses via dashes at the end of the first and last line. The reader pauses before diving into the heart of the poem, only to be contained by it at the end.