I have never seen "Volcanoes"

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



I have never seen "Volcanoes"—
But, when Travellers tell
How those old—phlegmatic mountains
Usually so still—

Bear within—appalling Ordnance,
Fire, and smoke, and gun,
Taking Villages for breakfast,
And appalling Men—

If the stillness is Volcanic
In the human face
When upon a pain Titanic
Features keep their place—

If at length the smouldering anguish
Will not overcome—
And the palpitating Vineyard
In the dust, be thrown?

If some loving Antiquary,
On Resumption Morn,
Will not cry with joy "Pompeii"!
To the Hills return!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 03, 2023

26 sec read
850

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXX XXXX ABAB XXXX XXXX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 528
Words 86
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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