Analysis of When we stand on the tops of Things

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



When we stand on the tops of Things—
And like the Trees, look down—
The smoke all cleared away from it—
And Mirrors on the scene—

Just laying light—no soul will wink
Except it have the flaw—
The Sound ones, like the Hills—shall stand—
No Lighting, scares away—

The Perfect, nowhere be afraid—
They bear their dauntless Heads,
Where others, dare not go at Noon,
Protected by their deeds—

The Stars dare shine occasionally
Upon a spotted World—
And Suns, go surer, for their Proof,
As if an Axle, held—


Scheme XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Poetic Form
Metre 11110111 010111 01110111 010101 11011111 011101 01110111 110101 0011101 11111 11011111 010111 011101000 010101 01110111 111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 519
Words 92
Sentences 1
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 97
Words per stanza (avg) 23
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

27 sec read
94

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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