Here’s a full analysis of the poem ‘I did not reach Thee’ by Emily Dickinson, tailored towards A-Level students but also suitable for those studying at any level. Enjoy and feel free to leave feedback if you found it useful!
Includes:
POEM
VOCABULARY
STORY / SUMMARY
SPEAKER / VOICE
...
I did not reach Thee
But my feet slip nearer every day
Three Rivers and a Hill to cross
One Desert and a Sea
I shall not count the journey one
When I am telling thee.
Two deserts, but the Year is cold
So that will help the sand
One desert crossed—
The second one
Will feel as cool as land
Sahara is too little price
To pay for thy Right hand.
The Sea comes last—Step merry, feet,
So short we have to go—
To play together we are prone,
But we must labor now,
The last shall be the lightest load
That we have had to draw.
The Sun goes crooked—
That is Night
Before he makes the bend.
We must have passed the Middle Sea—
Almost we wish the End
Were further off—
Too great it seems
So near the Whole to stand.
, We step like Plush,
We stand like snow,
The waters murmur new.
Three rivers and the Hill are passed—
Two deserts and the sea!
Now Death usurps my Premium
And gets the look at Thee.
VOCABULARY
Thee - you
Sahara - a desert in central Africa
Merry - joyful
Prone - to be likely to do something
Labor - work
Plush - rich, soft fabric
Murmur - mumble, speak in a low voice
Usurps - takes over
Premium - in an archaic sense, a prize or reward (in a modern sense, an extra
amount to be paid for service on top of the originally agreed price, such as a
bonus or an insurance charge)
STORY/SUMMARY
Stanza 1: I didn’t reach you, but my feet slip nearer to you every day, there are still
Three Rivers and a Hill to cross, a Desert and a Sea before I get to you - I won’t treat it
as if it’s only one journey when I finally reach you and tell you about it.
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