The first Day that I was a Life

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



The first Day that I was a Life
I recollect it—How still—
That last Day that I was a Life
I recollect it—as well—

'Twas stiller—though the first
Was still—
"Twas empty—but the first
Was full—

This—was my finallest Occasion—
But then
My tenderer Experiment
Toward Men—

"Which choose I"?
That—I cannot say—
"Which choose They"?
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

18 sec read
346

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAX CBCX XDXD XEEX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 361
Words 60
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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    "The first Day that I was a Life" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/12184/the-first-day-that-i-was-a-life>.

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    Which poet is associated with the poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?
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    C Ralph Waldo Emerson
    D Langston Hughes