It would have starved a Gnat

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



It would have starved a Gnat—
To live so small as I—
And yet I was a living Child—
With Food's necessity

Upon me—like a Claw—
I could no more remove
Than I could coax a Leech away—
Or make a Dragon—move—

Not like the Gnat—had I—
The privilege to fly
And seek a Dinner for myself—
How mightier He—than I—

Nor like Himself—the Art
Upon the Window Pane
To gad my little Being out—
And not begin—again—

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 17, 2023

24 sec read
550

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXX XBXB AAXA XXXX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 425
Words 80
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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