Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) made no overt comment against slavery in her poetry.
Yet in this poem "Color -- Caste -- Denomination" (1864) she seems to be concerned about racism and caste.
The intimations of racial equality as the natural condition of humankind and the wrongness of dividing
and labeling human beings by race or color are inescapable.
[ From AMERICAN ANTI-SLAVERY WRITINGS (Library of America volume #233) -- page 866 ]
"Color -- Caste -- Denomination --
These -- are Time's Affair --
Death's diviner Classifying
Does not know they are --
As in sleep -- all Hue forgotten --
Tenets -- put behind --
Death's large -- Democratic fingers
Rub away the Brand --
If Circassian -- He is careless --
If He put away
Chrysalis of Blonde -- or Umber --
Equal Butterfly --
They emerge from His Obscuring --
What Death -- knows so well --
Our minuter intuitions --
Deem unplausible."
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