Along the Potomac by Emily Dickinson
The poem explores themes of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. The speaker describes a journey along a river, symbolizing the passage of time, and reflects on the transience of human existence. The poem's tone is contemplative and melancholic, with a focus on the inevitability of death and the impermanence of all things.
By Emily Dickinson · First published 1890 · Genre: Poetry, Elegy, Historical · 128 words
First lines
When I was small, a woman died. / To-day her only boy / Went up from the Potomac, / His face all victory,
To look at her; how slowly / The seasons must have turned / Till bullets clipt an angle, / And he passed quickly round!
If pride shall be in Paradise / I never can decide; / Of their imperial conduct, / No person testified.
But proud in apparition, / That woman and her boy / Pass back and forth before my brain, / As ever in the sky.
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing poetic devices such as rhyme, meter, and imagery.
- Elegy — The poem reflects on death and remembrance, focusing on a woman and her son, which are common themes in elegiac poetry.
- Historical — References to the Potomac and the context of war suggest a historical backdrop, providing a sense of time and place.
- Philosophical — The poem contemplates themes of pride and the afterlife, engaging with philosophical questions about existence and memory.
Tags
American Literature · Poetry Collection · Nature Writing · Regionalism · Historical Fiction · Coming of Age · Family Drama · Social Commentary · Romance · Tragedy · Realism · Symbolism
What this Textopian page supports
Along the Potomac is listed on Textopian as a poem by Emily Dickinson, dated 1890 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Emily Dickinson
- Date: 1890 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Elegy, Historical, Philosophical
- Length: 128 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
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