[It was not Death, for I stood up] [A poor — torn heart — a tattered heart —] [Bring me the sunset in a cup] [Have you got a Brook in your little heart] [A thought went up my mind today —] [If I can stop one Heart from breaking] Emily Dickinson photos My favorite Emily Dickinson quotes Emily Dickinson links

Her trashing of Walt Whitman beside, Emily Dickinson is the perfect poet. You have to love her. She's insecure, truthful, beautiful, a recluse, and mysterious. Isn't that how everyone pictures a poet? What I love about her is the way she writes about the most beautiful things in nature birds, flowers, rainbows— and brings something about humanity into it. Rather like Robert Frost, but Frost is more — I dunno — countryish. He's harsher than she is, in a way. She also writes about death quite a lot. Hmm. Anyway, since she just wrote poetry for the sake of writing poetry, she rarely titled anything, so I've listed the first lines here in place of titles.

It Was Not Death

It was not Death, for I stood up,
And all the Dead, lie down—
It was not Night, for all the Bells
Put out their Tongues, for Noon.

It was not Frost, for on my Flesh
I felt Siroccos—crawl—
Nor Fire—for just my Marble feet
Could keep a Chancel, cool—

And yet, it tasted, like them all,
The Figures I have seen
Set orderly, for Burial,
Reminded me, of mine—

As if my life were shaven,
And fitted to a frame,
And could not breathe without a key,
And 'twas like Midnight, some—

When everything that ticked—has stopped—
And Space stares all around—
Or Grisly frosts—first Autumn morns,
Repeal the Beating Ground—

But, most, like Chaos—Stopless—cool—
Without a Chance, or Spar—
Or even a Report of Land—
To justify—Despair.

78

A poor — torn heart — a tattered heart —
That sat it down to rest —
Nor noticed that the Ebbing Day
Flowed silver to the West —
Nor noticed Night did soft descend —
Nor Constellation burn —
Intent upon the vision
Of latitudes unknown.

The angels — happening that way
This dusty heart espied —
Tenderly took it up from toil
And carried it to God —
There — sandals for the Barefoot —
There —gathered from the gales —
Do the blue havens by the hand
Lead the wandering Sails.

128

Bring me the sunset in a cup,
Reckon the morning's flagons up
And say how many Dew,
Tell me how far the morning leaps —
Tell me what time the weaver sleeps
Who spun the breadths of blue!

Write me how many notes there be
In the new Robin's ecstasy
Among astonished boughs —
How many trips the Tortoise makes —
How many cups the Bee partakes,
The Debauchee of Dews!

Also, who laid the Rainbow's piers,
Also, who leads the docile spheres
By withes of supple blue?
Whose fingers string the stalactite —
Who counts the wampum of the night
To see that none is due?

Who built this little Alban House
And shut the windows down so close
My spirit cannot see?
Who'll let me out some gala day
With implements to fly away,
Passing Pomposity?

136

Have you got a Brook in your little heart,
Where bashful flowers blow
And blushing birds go down to drink,
And shadows tremble so —

And nobody knows, so still it flows,
That any brook is there,
And yet your little draught of life
Is daily drunken there —

Why, look out for the little brook in March,
When the rivers overflow,
And the snows come hurrying from the hills,
And the bridges often go —

And later, in August it may be —
When the meadows parching lie,
Beware, lest this little brook of life,
Some burning noon go dry!

701

A Thought went up my mind today —
That I have had before —
But did not finish — some way back —
I could not fix the year —

Nor where it went — nor why it came
The second time to me —
Nor definitely, what it was —
Have I the Art to say —

But somewhere — in my soul — I know —
I've met the Thing before —
It just reminded me —'twas all —
And came my way no more —

919

If I can stop one Heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one Life the Aching
Or cool one Pain

Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
I shall not live in Vain.

Emily Dickinson Photos

My favorite Dickinson quotes

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