Analysis of Struck, was I, not yet by Lightning

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



Struck, was I, not yet by Lightning—
Lightning—lets away
Power to perceive His Process
With Vitality.

Maimed—was I—yet not by Venture—
Stone of stolid Boy—
Nor a Sportsman's Peradventure—
Who mine Enemy?

Robbed—was I—intact to Bandit—
All my Mansion torn—
Sun—withdrawn to Recognition—
Furthest shining—done—

Yet was not the foe—of any—
Not the smallest Bird
In the nearest Orchard dwelling
Be of Me—afraid.

Most—I love the Cause that slew Me.
Often as I die
Its beloved Recognition
Holds a Sun on Me—

Best—at Setting—as is Nature's—
Neither witnessed Rise
Till the infinite Aurora
In the other's eyes.


Scheme AXXB CXCB XXDD BXAX BXDB XEXE
Poetic Form
Metre 11111110 10101 1010111 10100 11111110 11101 1011 11100 11101110 11101 1011010 10101 11101110 10101 00101010 11101 11101111 10111 101010 10111 11101110 10101 10100010 00101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 633
Words 99
Sentences 6
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 20
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 79
Words per stanza (avg) 16
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
199

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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