The Loneliness One dare not sound

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



The Loneliness One dare not sound—
And would as soon surmise
As in its Grave go plumbing
To ascertain the size—

The Loneliness whose worst alarm
Is lest itself should see—
And perish from before itself
For just a scrutiny—

The Horror not to be surveyed—
But skirted in the Dark—
With Consciousness suspended—
And Being under Lock—

I fear me this—is Loneliness—
The Maker of the soul
Its Caverns and its Corridors
Illuminate—or seal—

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

23 sec read
856

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXA XBXB XXXX XXXX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 449
Words 77
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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