Dictionary Poems

She rose to his requirement, droppedThe playthings of her lifeTo take the honorable workOf woman and of wife. If aught she missed in her new dayOf amplitude, or awe,Or first prospective, or the goldIn using wore away, It lay unmentioned, as the seaDevelops pearl and weed,But only to himself is knownThe fathoms they abide. – … Continued

Approaching, nearing, curious,Thou dim, uncertain spectre–bringest thou life or death?Strength, weakness, blindness, more paralysis and heavier?Or placid skies and sun? Wilt stir the waters yet?Or haply cut me short for good? Or leave me here as now,Dull, parrot-like and old, with crack’d voice harping, screeching? – Queries to My Seventieth Year by Walt Whitman

Not with a club the heart is broken, Nor with a stone;A whip, so small you could not see it. I’ve known To lash the magic creature Till it fell,Yet that whip’s name too noble Then to tell. Magnanimous of bird By boy descried,To sing unto the stone Of which it died. – Not with … Continued

A sepal, petal, and a thorn Upon a common summer’s morn,A flash of dew, a bee or two,A breezeA caper in the trees, — And I’m a rose! – A ROSE – A sepal, petal, and a thorn by Emily Dickinson

As I ponder’d in silence,Returning upon my poems, considering, lingering long,A Phantom arose before me with distrustful aspect,Terrible in beauty, age, and power,The genius of poets of old lands,As to me directing like flame its eyes,With finger pointing to many immortal songs,And menacing voice, What singest thou? it said,Know’st thou not there is hut one … Continued

I’ve made my Will. I don’t believe In luxury and wealth;And to those loving ones who grieve My age and frailing healthI give the meed to soothe their ways That they may happy be,And pass serenely all their days In snug security. That duty done, I leave behind The all I have to giveTo crippled … Continued

I reason, earth is short,And anguish absolute,And many hurt;But what of that? I reason, we could die:The best vitalityCannot excel decay;But what of that? I reason that in heavenSomehow, it will be even,Some new equation given;But what of that? – I reason, earth is short by Emily Dickinson

Heave the anchor short!Raise main-sail and jib–steer forth,O little white-hull’d sloop, now speed on really deep waters,(I will not call it our concluding voyage,But outset and sure entrance to the truest, best, maturest;)Depart, depart from solid earth–no more returning to these shores,Now on for aye our infinite free venture wending,Spurning all yet tried ports, seas, … Continued

My brother Jim’s a millionaire,while I have scarce a penny;His face is creased with lines of care,While my mug hasn’t any.With inwardness his eyes are dim,While mine laugh out in glee,And though I ought to envy him,I think he envies me. He has a chateau, I a shack,And humble I should beTo see his stately … Continued