Symbols, Imagery, Wordplay
Form and Meter
When we say "Emily Dickinson," what pops into your mind? If you're reading this, then words like "poet," "homework," and "Why does my English teacher hate me?" might run through your brain. Those i...
Speaker
Grab a seat, folks. Settle down, settle down. Now, take out your notebooks and pens. Are you ready?Good, because our speaker is about to drop some knowledge on you. This poem really just develops l...
Setting
If you have already hit up our "Speaker" section—and if you haven't, you should totes do that—then you'll know that we think of this poem's speaker as a teacher. She's imparting knowledge to re...
Sound Check
If you've read our "Symbols" section, you know what desire tastes like. (And if you haven't, the get on over there now to find out.) In this section, we'll explore what it sounds like. Just like th...
What's Up With the Title?
"The title? Let's see… we're sure it's around here somewhere. It's not at the top of the poem—nope. Maybe it's in the table of contents. No table of contents either? Well then let's just use th...
Calling Card
Emily Dickinson is often associated with the ballad form, and for good reason. Her small poems use a form and meter that she knew well from church hymns. (See our "Form and Meter" section for more....
Tough-o-Meter
At times, this poem can put some funky syntax or nineteenth-century vocabulary in your way. Trust us, though, you won't need serious hiking gear to get over those bumps. Just accept the fact that,...
Trivia
Even though Emily Dickinson only saw seven of her poems published in her life, she did send over 270 of them to her sister in law, Susan Gilbert. (Source.)
Some folks think that Dickinson's own "s...
Steaminess Rating
Only nectar and soldier to see here, folks—keep moving.