Lyric Poem · Love

I see thee better—in the Dark

by Emily Dickinson

Reading room

1I see thee better — in the Dark —

2I do not need a Light —

3The Love of Thee — a Prism be —

4Excelling Violet —

5I see thee better for the Years

6That hunch themselves between —

7The Miner's Lamp — sufficient be —

8To nullify the Mine —

9And in the Grave — I see Thee best —

10Its little Panels be

11Aglow — All ruddy — with the Light

12I held so high, for Thee —

13What need of Day —

14To Those whose Dark — hath so — surpassing Sun —

15It deem it be — Continually —

16At the Meridian?

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“I see thee better—in the Dark” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/i-see-thee-better-in-the-dark

Quick facts

Poem: I see thee better—in the Dark
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 16 lines
Form: Lyric Poem
Themes: Love, Death & Loss

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: 16 lines · 4 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 8), consistent with tetrameter. 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

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Author record: Emily Dickinson1830–1886
Source record: PoetryDBI see thee better—in the Dark 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 6fe8f059d9e9b196…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Love Death & Loss

I see thee better—in the Dark

Quick facts

How this poem works

A traceable edition

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