Like just about all of Dickinsons' poems, this poem has no title. Emily Dickinson titled fewer than 10 of her almost 1800 poems. Her poems are now generally known by their first lines or by the numbers assigned to them by posthumous editors (click here for more information). read more
This blending of symbolism and allegory in Dickinson's poems is another reason for some readers' difficulty when they encounter her many poems for the first time; yet, Emily Dickinson's evocative powers are paramount: she is always a challenge to the reader. read more
" Dickinson's poetry is challenging because it is radical and original in its rejection of most traditional nineteenth-century themes and techniques. Her poems require active engagement from the reader, because she seems to leave out so much with her elliptical style and remarkable contracting metaphors. read more