Emily Dickinson, a poem on Death ("The overtakelessness of those who have accomplished Death")

Artwork used:

Venetia, Lady Digby on her Deathbed, by Van Dyck.
Portrait of Venetia, Lady Digby, by Van Dyck.
Belshazzar's Feast, by John Martin.
Running along the beach, by Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida.
Le poeme de l'Ame 16, by Louis Janmot.

The species of tree in the moving pictures is Portuguese laurel (the laurel being a symbol of triumph).

“Overtakelessness” is a word invented by Emily Dickinson for this poem, and means something to the effect of, “The quality of not being able to be overtaken.”

An explanation of the phrase "Not at Home" in line 5:

"Not at Home is a phrase from a feature of the Victorian-era custom of paying visits, or social calls on households within one's own social sphere. In the days before telephones, the etiquette involved was quite ritualized. The visitor or her servant would present a calling card at the door, which would be brought in to the mistress of the household. If she was not prepared to have the visitor in, she would write "Not at Home" on the caller's card and send it back. This act signalled that the visit was not welcome, at least not at present." (Mattingly 2018:33.)

Transcript:

The overtakelessness of those
Who have accomplished Death
Majestic is to me beyond
The majesties of Earth.

The soul her “Not at Home”
Inscribes upon the flesh—
And takes her fair aerial gait
Beyond the hope of touch.

Music: Hélène Grimaud - Ravel Piano Concerto In G - Mov II, Adagio Assai (licensed under CC-BY-3.0).