How Dare the Robins Sing by Emily Dickinson
The poem explores themes of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. It describes a scene where robins sing despite the speaker's death, highlighting the contrast between their joy and the speaker's own demise. The poem touches on the idea that even in death, one can find beauty and meaning in the world around them.
By Emily Dickinson · First published 1896 · Genre: Poetry, Lyrical, Philosophical · 127 words
First lines
How dare the robins sing, / When men and women hear / Who since they went to their account / Have settled with the year! -- / Paid all that life had earned / In one consummate bill, / And now, what life or death can do / Is immaterial.
Insulting is the sun / To him whose mortal light, / Beguiled of immortality, / Bequeaths him to the night.
In deference to him / Extinct be every hum, / Whose garden wrestles with the dew, / At daybreak overcome!
What this Textopian page supports
How Dare the Robins Sing is listed on Textopian as a poem by Emily Dickinson, dated 1896 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: 1896 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyrical, Philosophical, Nature, Metaphysical
- Length: 127 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
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- Work identity for How Dare the Robins Sing by Emily Dickinson
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing rhyme and meter typical of poetry.
- Lyrical — The text expresses personal emotions and reflections, characteristic of lyrical poetry.
- Philosophical — The themes explore existential questions about life, death, and the human condition.
- Nature — The imagery and references to robins, the sun, and gardens highlight a focus on nature.
Tags
Poetry · Nature · Mortality · Existentialism · Philosophy · Spirituality · Death · Life · Beauty · Suffering · Pain · Joy