The Storm by Emily Dickinson (1890)
This poem explores the turmoil of a relationship that has ended. The speaker describes the storm as a manifestation of their own emotions, with lightning and thunder serving as metaphors for the intense feelings of anger and hurt. The poem's tone is one of bitter resentment, with the speaker expressing a desire to destroy the other person, symbolized by the storm's destructive power.
By Emily Dickinson · First published 1890 · Genre: Poetry, Nature, Symbolism · 138 words
First lines
There came a wind like a bugle; It quivered through the grass, And a green chill upon the heat So ominous did pass We barred the windows and the doors As from an emerald ghost; The doom's electric moccason That very instant passed.
On a strange mob of panting trees, And fences fled away, And rivers where the houses ran The living looked that day.
The bell within the steeple wild The flying tidings whirled.
How much can come And much can go, And yet abide the world!
What this Textopian page supports
The Storm 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, Nature, Symbolism, Gothic, Transcendentalism
- Length: 138 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
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- Nature Rarer Uses Yellow by Emily Dickinson
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- A Light Exists In Spring by Emily Dickinson
- Death by Emily Dickinson
- Theres A Certain Slant Of Light by Emily Dickinson
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing rhyme and meter typical of poetry.
- Nature — The poem vividly describes natural elements such as wind, grass, and trees, focusing on their impact and presence.
- Symbolism — The poem uses symbolic language, such as 'emerald ghost' and 'electric moccason,' to convey deeper meanings.
- Gothic — The ominous and eerie atmosphere, with references to doom and ghostly imagery, aligns with Gothic themes.
Tags
Poetry · Nature · Mortality · Existentialism · Philosophy · Death · Life · Fate · Free Verse · American Literature · 19th Century · Symbolism