Emily Dickinson Lexicon

being (-s, 's), verbal n. [see be, v.] (webplay: closeness, creature, endowed, existence, give, God, house, human, leave, live, made, mortal, motion, move, nature's, nearness, place, race, spirit, state, time, twain).

1. Entity; life form; self; soul; individual.
2. Existence; life force; consciousness; essence of the universe.
3. Human person; [word play on “I am”] Christ; deity; divine person (see Exodus 3:14).
4. Creature; harmless animal.