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Poems by Emily Dickinson

Dickinson, Emily (1830-1886)

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[section]
  
[This is my letter to the world]
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I. LIFE.
 1. 
I. SUCCESS.
 2. 
[II. Our share of night to bear]
 3. 
III. ROUGE ET NOIR.
 4. 
IV. ROUGE GAGNE.
 5. 
[V. Glee! the great storm is over]
 6. 
[VI. If I can stop one heart from breaking]
 7. 
VII. ALMOST!
 8. 
[VIII. A wounded deer leaps highest]
 9. 
[IX. The heart asks pleasure first]
 10. 
X. IN A LIBRARY.
 11. 
[XI. Much madness is divinest sense]
 12. 
[XII. I asked no other thing]
 13. 
XIII. EXCLUSION.
 14. 
XIV. THE SECRET.
 15. 
XV. THE LONELY HOUSE.
 16. 
[XVI. To fight aloud is very brave]
 17. 
XVII. DAWN.
 18. 
XVIII. THE BOOK OF MARTYRS.
 19. 
XIX. THE MYSTERY OF PAIN.
 20. 
[XX. I taste a liquor never brewed]
 21. 
XXI. A BOOK.
 22. 
[XXII. I had no time to hate, because]
 23. 
XXIII. UNRETURNING.
 24. 
[XXIV. Whether my bark went down at sea,]
 25. 
[XXV. Belshazzar had a letter]
 26. 
[XXVI. The brain within its groove]
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II. LOVE.
 1. 
I. MINE.
 2. 
II. BEQUEST.
 3. 
[III. Alter? When the hills do]
 4. 
IV. SUSPENSE.
 5. 
V. SURRENDER.
 6. 
[VI. If you were coming in the fall]
 7. 
VII. WITH A FLOWER.
 8. 
VIII. PROOF.
 9. 
[IX. Have you got a brook in your little heart]
 10. 
X. TRANSPLANTED.
 11. 
XI. THE OUTLET.
 12. 
XII. IN VAIN.
 13. 
XIII. RENUNCIATION.
 14. 
XIV. LOVE'S BAPTISM.
 15. 
XV. RESURRECTION.
 16. 
XVI. APOCALYPSE.
 17. 
XVII. THE WIFE.
 18. 
XVIII. APOTHEOSIS.
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III. NATURE.
 1. 
[I. New feet within my garden go]
 2. 
II. MAY-FLOWER.
 3. 
III. WHY?
 4. 
[IV. Perhaps you'd like to buy a flower]
 5. 
[V. The pedigree of honey]
 6. 
VI. A SERVICE OF SONG.
 7. 
[VII. The bee is not afraid of me]
 8. 
VIII. SUMMER'S ARMIES.
 9. 
IX. THE GRASS.
 10. 
[X. A little road not made of man]
 11. 
XI. SUMMER SHOWER.
 12. 
XII. PSALM OF THE DAY.
 13. 
XIII. THE SEA OF SUNSET.
 14. 
XIV. PURPLE CLOVER.
 15. 
XV. THE BEE.
 16. 
[XVI. Presentiment is that long shadow on the lawn]
 17. 
[XVII. As children bid the guest good-night]
 18. 
[XVIII. Angels in the early morning]
 19. 
[XIX. So bashful when I spied her]
 20. 
XX. TWO WORLDS.
 21. 
XXI. THE MOUNTAIN.
 22. 
XXII. A DAY.
 23. 
[XXIII. The butterfly's assumption-gown]
 24. 
XXIV. THE WIND.
 25. 
XXV. DEATH AND LIFE.
 26. 
[XXVI. 'T was later when the summer went]
 27. 
XXVII. INDIAN SUMMER.
 28. 
XXVIII. AUTUMN.
 29. 
XXIX. BECLOUDED.
 30. 
XXX. THE HEMLOCK.
 31. 
[XXXI. There's a certain slant of light]
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IV. TIME AND ETERNITY.
 1. 
[I. One dignity delays for all]
 2. 
II. TOO LATE.
 3. 
III. ASTRA CASTRA.
 4. 
[IV. Safe in their alabaster chambers]
 5. 
[V. On this long storm the rainbow rose]
 6. 
VI. FROM THE CHRYSALIS.
 7. 
VII. SETTING SAIL.
 8. 
[VIII. Look back on time with kindly eyes]
 9. 
[IX. A train went through a burial gate]
 10. 
[X. I died for beauty, but was scarce]
 11. 
XI. “TROUBLED ABOUT MANY THINGS.”
 12. 
XII. REAL.
 13. 
XIII. THE FUNERAL.
 14. 
[XIV. I went to thank her]
 15. 
[XV. I've seen a dying eye]
 16. 
XVI. REFUGE.
 17. 
[XVII. I never saw a moor]
 18. 
XVIII. PLAYMATES.
 19. 
[XIX. To know just how he suffered would be dear]
 20. 
[XX. The last night that she lived]
 21. 
XXI. THE FIRST LESSON.
 22. 
[XXII. The bustle in a house]
 23. 
[XXIII. I reason, earth is short]
 24. 
[XXIV. Afraid? Of whom am I afraid?]
 25. 
XXV. DYING.
 26. 
[XXVI. Two swimmers wrestled on the spar]
 27. 
XXVII. THE CHARIOT.
 28. 
[XXVIII. She went as quiet as the dew]
 29. 
XXIX. RESURGAM.
 30. 
[XXX. Except to heaven, she is nought]
 31. 
[XXXI. Death is a dialogue between]
 32. 
[XXXII. It was too late for man]
 33. 
XXXIII. ALONG THE POTOMAC.
 34. 
[XXXIV. The daisy follows soft the sun]
 35. 
XXXV. EMANCIPATION.
 36. 
XXXVI. LOST.
 37. 
[XXXVII. If I should n't be alive]
 38. 
[XXXVIII. Sleep is supposed to be]
 39. 
[XXXIX. I shall know why, when time is over]
 40. 
[XL. I never lost as much but twice]

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71

III.
WHY?

The murmur of a bee
A witchcraft yieldeth me.
If any ask me why,
'T were easier to die
Than tell.
The red upon the hill
Taketh away my will;
If anybody sneer,
Take care, for God is here,
That 's all.
The breaking of the day
Addeth to my degree;
If any ask me how,
Artist, who drew me so,
Must tell!
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