Not with a Club the Heart is Broken
The poem explores the idea that love can be broken and irreparable, much like a club breaking a heart. The speaker suggests that some wounds are too deep to heal, and that the pain of losing someone you love can be overwhelming. The poem also touches on the theme of mortality, implying that even in death, the heart remains broken.
By Emily Dickinson · First published 1890 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Philosophical · 89 words
First lines
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.
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing poetic devices such as metaphor and imagery.
- Lyric — The poem expresses personal emotions and reflections, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Philosophical — The themes explore abstract concepts such as the nature of emotional pain and nobility.
- Symbolism — The poem uses symbols like the whip and the bird to convey deeper meanings.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Nature Imagery · Death and Mourning · Love and Loss · Heartbreak · Emotional Pain · Solitude · Isolation · Mortality · Existential Crisis
What this Textopian page supports
Not with a Club the Heart is Broken 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, Lyric, Philosophical, Symbolism
- Length: 89 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
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