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Lyric Poem · Nature

I rose—because He sank

by Emily Dickinson

1I rose — because He sank —

2I thought it would be opposite —

3But when his power dropped —

4My Soul grew straight.

5I cheered my fainting Prince —

6I sang firm — even — Chants —

7I helped his Film — with Hymn —

8And when the Dews drew off

9That held his Forehead stiff —

10I met him —

11Balm to Balm —

12I told him Best — must pass

13Through this low Arch of Flesh —

14No Casque so brave

15It spurn the Grave —

16I told him Worlds I knew

17Where Emperors grew —

18Who recollected us

19If we were true —

20And so with Thews of Hymn —

21And Sinew from within —

22And ways I knew not that I knew — till then —

23I lifted Him —

Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.

Quick facts

Poem
I rose—because He sank
Poet
Emily Dickinson
Length
23 lines
Form
Lyric Poem
Themes
Nature, Death & Loss, 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
23 lines · 6 stanzas of 3–4 lines
Line length
Lines run 4-6 syllables (median 6), consistent with trimeter. No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.
The poem’s silhouette — approximate syllables per line, measured from the text above. Even bars mean a measured line; ragged bars mean the poem sets its own widths.

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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 rose—because He sank 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 23784bb4e6bfe923
Editorial handling
Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.
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