Lyric Poem · Death & Loss

I cried at Pity—not at Pain

by Emily Dickinson

I cried at Pity — not at Pain —

I heard a Woman say

"Poor Child" — and something in her voice

Convicted me — of me —

So long I fainted, to myself

It seemed the common way,

And Health, and Laughter, Curious things —

To look at, like a Toy —

To sometimes hear "Rich people" buy

And see the Parcel rolled —

And carried, I supposed — to Heaven,

For children, made of Gold —

But not to touch, or wish for,

Or think of, with a sigh —

And so and so — had been to me,

Had God willed differently.

I wish I knew that Woman's name —

So when she comes this way,

To hold my life, and hold my ears

For fear I hear her say

She's "sorry I am dead" — again —

Just when the Grave and I —

Have sobbed ourselves almost to sleep,

Our only Lullaby —

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“I cried at Pity—not at Pain” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/i-cried-at-pity-not-at-pain

Quick facts

Poem: I cried at Pity—not at Pain
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 24 lines
Form: Lyric Poem
Themes: Death & Loss, Childhood, 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: 24 lines · 6 quatrains
End rhyme: No regular perfect end rhyme. The poem may still be using slant rhyme, assonance, or internal echo, which this check does not score.
Line length: Lines run 6-9 syllables (median 7). No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.

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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: PoetryDBI cried at Pity—not at Pain 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 96b291eb42d827a3…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Death & Loss Childhood Peace

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