Lyric Poem · Nature

I rose—because He sank

by Emily Dickinson

I rose — because He sank —

I thought it would be opposite —

But when his power dropped —

My Soul grew straight.

I cheered my fainting Prince —

I sang firm — even — Chants —

I helped his Film — with Hymn —

And when the Dews drew off

That held his Forehead stiff —

I met him —

Balm to Balm —

I told him Best — must pass

Through this low Arch of Flesh —

No Casque so brave

It spurn the Grave —

I told him Worlds I knew

Where Emperors grew —

Who recollected us

If we were true —

And so with Thews of Hymn —

And Sinew from within —

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

I lifted Him —

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“I rose—because He sank” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/i-rose-because-he-sank

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.

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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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Lyric Poem Nature Death & Loss Peace

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