Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A SOLEMN THING IT WAS, I SAID by EMILY DICKINSON

Poet Analysis

Last Line: "And I sneered — softly — ""small""!"
Subject(s): LIFE; SIZE & SHAPE;
A solemn thing - it was - I said -
A woman - white - to be -
And wear - if God should count me fit -
Her blameless mystery -

A hallowed thing - to drop a life
Into the purple well -
Too plummetless - that it return -
Eternity - until -

I pondered how the bliss would look -
And would it feel as big -
When I could take it in my hand -
As hovering - seen - through fog -

And then - the size of this "small" life -
The Sages - call it small -
Swelled - like Horizons - in my vest -
And I sneered - softly - "small"!


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