Emily Dickinson Poems

Emily Dickinson was a famous 19th century American poet. She lived in isolation for many years. The Academy of American Poets describes her influences as her Puritan upbringing, the Book of Revelation and metaphysical poets from 17th century England. Dickinson wrote nearly 1,800 poems but she was not recognized for her work during her lifetime. Her work was discovered by her family after she died and was published posthumously.

Emily Dickinson Poems

"A Drop Fell On The Apple Tree" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's poem begins with the lines:
"A Drop fell on the Apple Tree -
Another - on the Roof -
A Half a Dozen kissed the Eaves -
And made the Gables laugh -"
"A little Dog that wags his tail" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's poem begins with the lines:
"A little Dog that wags his tail
And knows no other joy
Of such a little Dog am
I Reminded by a Boy"
"By the Sea" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's sea poem includes the lines:
"The mermaids in the basement
Came out to look at me
And frigates in the upper floor
Extended hempen hands"
"Dear March - Come in" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's poem includes the lines:
"I got your Letter, and the Birds -
The Maples never knew that you were coming
- I declare - how Red their Faces grew"
"Fame is a Fickle Food" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's poem begins:
"Fame is a fickle food
Upon a shifting plate
Whose table once a
Guest but not
The second time is set."
"Heart, We Will Forget Him" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's short love poem contains the lines:
"Heart, we will forget him
You and I, tonight!
You must forget the warmth he gave
I will forget the light"
"I felt a Funeral, in my Brain" by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson's creepy poem contains the lines:
"And then I heard them lift a Box
And creak across my Soul
With those same Boots of Lead, again,"
"I’ll tell you how the sun rose" by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson's sun poem opens with the lines:
"'ll tell you how the sun rose, -
A ribbon at a time.
The steeples swam in amethyst,
The news like squirrels ran."
"I’m Nobody! Who are you?" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's poem begins with the lines:
"I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!"
"If I Should Die" by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson's poem begins with the lines:
"If I should die
And you should live
And time should gurgle on"
"It sifts from Leaden Sieves" by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson’s poem about describes the changing landscape:
"It reaches to the fence,
It wraps it, rail by rail,
Till it is lost in fleeces;
It deals Celestial Vail"
"Like Rain it sounded till it curved" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's rain poem begins:
"Like Rain it sounded till it curved
And then I new 'twas Wind --
It walked as wet as any Wave
But swept as dry as sand --"
"May-Flower" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's poem begins:
"Pink, small, and punctual,
Aromatic, low,
Covert in April,
Candid in May, "
"Rain Poem" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's rain poem begins:
"A drop fell on the apple tree
Another on the roof;
A half a dozen kissed the eaves,
And made the gables laugh."
"She Sights a Bird" by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson's poem about a cat hunting a bird contains the lines:
"Her Jaws stir — twitching — hungry —
Her Teeth can hardly stand —
She leaps, but Robin leaped the first —"
"That I Did Always Love" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's love poem contains the lines:
"That I shall love alway
I argue thee
That love is life
And life hath Immortality."
"They say that time assuages" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's poem contains the line:
"They say that “time assuages”,—
Time never did assuage;
An actual suffering strengthens,"

You can find more poems in our Poems section