The poem explores the idea that losing someone you love can be more painful and sweet than gaining something new. It suggests that attachment to a person can create a sense of longing and nostalgia that is difficult to shake, even in the face of potential gain or new experiences. The speaker implies that the pain of loss can be so intense that it becomes a kind of pleasure, one that is hard to replace with anything else.
By Emily Dickinson · First published 1890 · Genre: Poetry, Lyric, Romantic