'Tis so much joy! 'Tis so much joy!

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



'Tis so much joy! 'Tis so much joy!
If I should fail, what poverty!
And yet, as poor as I,
Have ventured all upon a throw!
Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so—
This side the Victory!

Life is but Life! And Death, but Death!
Bliss is, but Bliss, and Breath but Breath!
And if indeed I fail,
At least, to know the worst, is sweet!
Defeat means nothing but Defeat,
No drearier, can befall!

And if I gain! Oh Gun at Sea!
Oh Bells, that in the Steeples be!
At first, repeat it slow!
For Heaven is a different thing,
Conjectured, and waked sudden in—
And might extinguish me!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 20, 2023

33 sec read
318

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXBBA CCXDDX AABXXA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 558
Words 110
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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