The poem explores the speaker's longing for a romantic encounter with someone they cannot have. The language is sensual and passionate, but also melancholic and despairing. The speaker's desire is unrequited, and they are aware that it will never be fulfilled. The poem is a meditation on the nature of love and desire, and the pain of being unable to express or fulfill them.
By Emily Dickinson · First published 1860 · Genre: Poetry, Romantic, Metaphysical