Analysis of 'Tis so appalling—it exhilarates

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



'Tis so appalling—it exhilarates—
So over Horror, it half Captivates—
The Soul stares after it, secure—
A Sepulchre, fears frost, no more—

To scan a Ghost, is faint—
But grappling, conquers it—
How easy, Torment, now—
Suspense kept sawing so—

The Truth, is Bald, and Cold—
But that will hold—
If any are not sure—
We show them—prayer—
But we, who know,
Stop hoping, now—

Looking at Death, is Dying—
Just let go the Breath—
And not the pillow at your Cheek
So Slumbereth—

Others, Can wrestle—
Yours, is done—
And so of Woe, bleak dreaded—come,
It sets the Fright at liberty—
And Terror's free—
Gay, Ghastly, Holiday!


Scheme AABX XXCA DDBXXC XEXE XXXFFX
Poetic Form
Metre 1101011 110101110 01110101 011111 110111 110101 11011 011101 011101 1111 110111 1111 1111 1101 1011110 11101 01010111 11 10110 111 01111101 11011100 011 11010
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 646
Words 110
Sentences 2
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 6, 4, 6
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 19
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 92
Words per stanza (avg) 22
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 23, 2023

33 sec read
150

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

All Emily Dickinson poems | Emily Dickinson Books

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