Lyric Poem · Nature

Each Life Converges to some Centre

by Emily Dickinson

Each Life Converges to some Centre —

Expressed — or still —

Exists in every Human Nature

A Goal —

Embodied scarcely to itself — it may be —

Too fair

For Credibility's presumption

To mar —

Adored with caution — as a Brittle Heaven —

To reach

Were hopeless, as the Rainbow's Raiment

To touch —

Yet persevered toward — sure — for the Distance —

How high —

Unto the Saint's slow diligence —

The Sky —

Ungained — it may be — by a Life's low Venture —

But then —

Eternity enable the endeavoring

Again.

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“Each Life Converges to some Centre” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/each-life-converges-to-some-centre

Quick facts

Poem: Each Life Converges to some Centre
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 20 lines
Form: Lyric Poem
Themes: Nature, Peace

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape: 20 lines · 5 quatrains

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record: Emily Dickinson1830–1886
Source record: PoetryDBEach Life Converges to some Centre by emily-dickinson, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 eef0400427ad1ec0…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Nature Peace

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