Love's Baptism by Emily Dickinson
The poem explores the idea of spiritual rebirth through love, where the speaker's heart is purified and transformed by their beloved. The poem describes this process as a baptism, suggesting a complete immersion in the emotions and sensations of love. The speaker's soul is cleansed of its imperfections and becomes one with the divine, achieving a state of spiritual enlightenment.
By Emily Dickinson · First published 1890 · Genre: Poetry, Spiritual, Autobiographical · 185 words
First lines
I'm ceded, I've stopped being theirs; / The name they dropped upon my face / With water, in the country church, / Is finished using now, / And they can put it with my dolls, / My childhood, and the string of spools / I've finished threading too.
Baptized before without the choice, / But this time consciously, of grace / Unto supremest name, / Called to my full, the crescent dropped, / Existence's whole arc filled up / With one small diadem.
My second rank, too small the first, / Crowned, crowing on my father's breast, / A half unconscious queen; / But this time, adequate, erect, / With will to choose or to reject. / And I choose -- just a throne.
What this Textopian page supports
Love's Baptism 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, Spiritual, Autobiographical, Feminist, Philosophical
- Length: 185 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Love's Baptism by Emily Dickinson
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing poetic devices such as metaphor and imagery.
- Spiritual — Themes of baptism and spiritual awakening are central to the text.
- Autobiographical — The poem reflects personal growth and self-realization, suggesting an autobiographical element.
- Feminist — The text explores themes of personal empowerment and choice, relevant to feminist discourse.
Tags
Poetry · Romance · Spirituality · Nature · Mortality · Love · Baptism · Symbolism · Metaphor · Imagery · Emotional · Introspective