If I can stop one heart from breaking,



If I can stop one heart from breaking,

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

About this poem

"If I can stop one heart from breaking" is a short poem by Emily Dickinson that emphasizes the importance of compassion and kindness in a world full of suffering.

Font size:
Collection       
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified by acronimous on March 14, 2023

14 sec read
14,944

Quick analysis:

Scheme aBabcbB
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 199
Words 48
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 7

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

All Emily Dickinson poems | Emily Dickinson Books

59 fans

Discuss the poem If I can stop one heart from breaking, with the community...

4 Comments
  • Xuan-An
    nice
    LikeReply 13 months ago
  • day_a
    One of my favourite poems
    LikeReply 13 months ago
  • Shocam
    Wow
    LikeReply 16 months ago
  • Emile
    I cannot get enough of this poem.
    LikeReply 17 months ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"If I can stop one heart from breaking," Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Mar. 2025. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/11840/if-i-can-stop-one-heart-from-breaking,>.

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

March 2025

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
16
days
17
hours
4
minutes

Special Program

Earn Rewards!

Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

»
"Lady, make a note of this: One of you is lying."
A Ogden Nash
B Bill Collins
C May Sarton
D Dorothy Parker