Famous Emily Poems by Famous Poets

These are examples of famous Emily poems written by some of the greatest and most-well-known modern and classical poets. PoetrySoup is a great educational poetry resource of famous emily poems. These examples illustrate what a famous emily poem looks like and its form, scheme, or style (where appropriate).

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The Symptom of the Gale --

by Emily Dickinson
 The Symptom of the Gale --
The Second of Dismay --
Between its Rumor and its Face --
Is almost Revelry --

The Houses firmer root --
The Heavens cannot be found --
The Upper Surfaces of things
Take covert in the Ground --

The Mem'ry of the Sun
Not Any can recall --
Although by Nature's sterling Watch
So scant an interval --

And when the Noise is caught
And Nature...Read more of this...

The Wind took up the Northern Things

by Emily Dickinson
 The Wind took up the Northern Things
And piled them in the south --
Then gave the East unto the West
And opening his mouth

The four Divisions of the Earth
Did make as to devour
While everything to corners slunk
Behind the awful power --

The Wind -- unto his Chambers went
And nature ventured out --
Her subjects scattered into place
Her systems ranged about

Again the smoke from...Read more of this...

The Mind lives on the Heart

by Emily Dickinson
 The Mind lives on the Heart
Like any Parasite --
If that is full of Meat
The Mind is fat.

But if the Heart omit
Emaciate the Wit --
The Aliment of it
So absolute....Read more of this...

I know that He exists

by Emily Dickinson
 I know that He exists.
Somewhere -- in Silence --
He has hid his rare life
From our gross eyes.

'Tis an instant's play.
'Tis a fond Ambush --
Just to make Bliss
Earn her own surprise!

But -- should the play
Prove piercing earnest --
Should the glee -- glaze --
In Death's -- stiff -- stare --

Would not the fun
Look too expensive!
Would not the jest --
Have crawled too...Read more of this...

To the bright east she flies

by Emily Dickinson
 To the bright east she flies,
Brothers of Paradise
Remit her home,
Without a change of wings,
Or Love's convenient things,
Enticed to come.

Fashioning what she is,
Fathoming what she was,
We deem we dream --
And that dissolves the days
Through which existence strays
Homeless at home....Read more of this...

Through the Dark Sod -- as Education

by Emily Dickinson
 Through the Dark Sod -- as Education --
The Lily passes sure --
Feels her white foot -- no trepidation --
Her faith -- no fear --

Afterward -- in the Meadow --
Swinging her Beryl Bell --
The Mold-life -- all forgotten -- now --
In Ecstasy -- and Dell --...Read more of this...

Last Lines

by Emily Brontë
 NO coward soul is mine, 
No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere: 
I see Heaven's glories shine, 
And faith shines equal, arming me from fear. 

O God within my breast, 
Almighty, ever-present Deity! 
Life--that in me has rest, 
As I--undying Life--have power in Thee! 

Vain are the thousand creeds 
That move men's hearts: unutterably vain; 
Worthless as wither'd weeds,...Read more of this...

I am afraid to own a Body --

by Emily Dickinson
 I am afraid to own a Body --
I am afraid to own a Soul --
Profound -- precarious Property --
Possession, not optional --

Double Estate -- entailed at pleasure
Upon an unsuspecting Heir --
Duke in a moment of Deathlessness
And God, for a Frontier....Read more of this...

Death warrants are supposed to be

by Emily Dickinson
 Death warrants are supposed to be
An enginery of equity
A merciful mistake
A pencil in an Idol's Hand
A Devotee has oft consigned
To Crucifix or Block...Read more of this...

I think that the Root of the Wind is Water --

by Emily Dickinson
 I think that the Root of the Wind is Water --
It would not sound so deep
Were it a Firmamental Product --
Airs no Oceans keep --
Mediterranean intonations --
To a Current's Ear --
There is a maritime conviction
In the Atmosphere --...Read more of this...

Step lightly on this narrow spot --

by Emily Dickinson
 Step lightly on this narrow spot --
The broadest Land that grows
Is not so ample as the Breast
These Emerald Seams enclose.

Step lofty, for this name be told
As far as Cannon dwell
Or Flag subsist or Fame export
Her deathless Syllable....Read more of this...

By my Window have I for Scenery

by Emily Dickinson
 By my Window have I for Scenery
Just a Sea -- with a Stem --
If the Bird and the Farmer -- deem it a "Pine" --
The Opinion will serve -- for them --

It has no Port, nor a "Line" -- but the Jays --
That split their route to the Sky --
Or a Squirrel, whose giddy Peninsula
May be easier reached --...Read more of this...

Aurora is the effort

by Emily Dickinson
 Aurora is the effort
Of the Celestial Face
Unconsciousness of Perfectness
To simulate, to Us....Read more of this...

To interrupt His Yellow Plan

by Emily Dickinson
 To interrupt His Yellow Plan
The Sun does not allow
Caprices of the Atmosphere --
And even when the Snow

Heaves Balls of Specks, like Vicious Boy
Directly in His Eye --
Does not so much as turn His Head
Busy with Majesty --

'Tis His to stimulate the Earth --
And magnetize the Sea --
And bind Astronomy, in place,
Yet Any passing by

Would deem Ourselves -- the busier
As...Read more of this...

The Bobolink is gone --

by Emily Dickinson
 The Bobolink is gone --
The Rowdy of the Meadow --
And no one swaggers now but me --
The Presbyterian Birds
Can now resume the Meeting
He boldly interrupted that overflowing Day
When supplicating mercy
In a portentous way
He swung upon the Decalogue
And shouted let us pray --...Read more of this...

A little East of Jordan

by Emily Dickinson
 A little East of Jordan,
Evangelists record,
A Gymnast and an Angel
Did wrestle long and hard --

Till morning touching mountain --
And Jacob, waxing strong,
The Angel begged permission
To Breakfast -- to return --

Not so, said cunning Jacob!
"I will not let thee go
Except thou bless me" -- Stranger!
The which acceded to --

Light swung the silver fleeces
"Peniel" Hills beyond,
And the bewildered Gymnast
Found he had...Read more of this...

Banish Air from Air --

by Emily Dickinson
 Banish Air from Air --
Divide Light if you dare --
They'll meet
While Cubes in a Drop
Or Pellets of Shape
Fit
Films cannot annul
Odors return whole
Force Flame
And with a Blonde push
Over your impotence
Flits Steam....Read more of this...

Should you but fail at -- Sea

by Emily Dickinson
 Should you but fail at -- Sea --
In sight of me --
Or doomed lie --
Next Sun -- to die --
Or rap -- at Paradise -- unheard
I'd harass God
Until he let you in!...Read more of this...

I saw the wind within her

by Emily Dickinson
 I saw the wind within her
I knew it blew for me --
But she must buy my shelter
I asked Humility...Read more of this...

Quite empty quite at rest

by Emily Dickinson
 Quite empty, quite at rest,
The Robin locks her Nest, and tries her Wings.
She does not know a Route
But puts her Craft about
For rumored Springs --
She does not ask for Noon --
She does not ask for Boon,
Crumbless and homeless, of but one request --
The Birds she lost --...Read more of this...

The Wind didnt come from the Orchard -- today

by Emily Dickinson
 The Wind didn't come from the Orchard -- today --
Further than that --
Nor stop to play with the Hay --
Nor joggle a Hat --
He's a transitive fellow -- very --
Rely on that --

If He leave a Bur at the door
We know He has climbed a Fir --
But the Fir is Where -- Declare --
Were you ever there?

If He brings...Read more of this...

No Romance sold unto

by Emily Dickinson
 No Romance sold unto
Could so enthrall a Man
As the perusal of
His Individual One --
'Tis Fiction's -- When 'tis small enough
To Credit -- 'Tisn't true!...Read more of this...

The Clovers simple Fame

by Emily Dickinson
 The Clover's simple Fame
Remembered of the Cow --
Is better than enameled Realms
Of notability.
Renown perceives itself
And that degrades the Flower --
The Daisy that has looked behind
Has compromised its power --...Read more of this...

An altered look about the hills

by Emily Dickinson
 An altered look about the hills --
A Tyrian light the village fills --
A wider sunrise in the morn --
A deeper twilight on the lawn --
A print of a vermillion foot --
A purple finger on the slope --
A flippant fly upon the pane --
A spider at his trade again --
An added strut in Chanticleer --
A flower expected everywhere --
An axe...Read more of this...

They have a little Odor -- that to me

by Emily Dickinson
 They have a little Odor -- that to me
Is metre -- nay -- 'tis melody --
And spiciest at fading -- indicate --
A Habit -- of a Laureate --...Read more of this...

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