The only ghost I ever saw

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



The only ghost I ever saw
Was dressed in mechlin, --so;
He wore no sandal on his foot,
And stepped like flakes of snow.
His gait was soundless, like the bird,
But rapid, like the roe;
His fashions quaint, mosaic,
Or, haply, mistletoe.

Hi conversation seldom,
His laughter like the breeze
That dies away in dimples
Among the pensive trees.
Our interview was transient, --
Of me, himself was shy;
And God forbid I look behind
Since that appalling day!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 01, 2023

24 sec read
924

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXAXAXA XBXBXXXX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 442
Words 82
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 8

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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