Lyric Poem · Death & Loss

Robbed by Death—but that was easy

by Emily Dickinson

Robbed by Death — but that was easy —

To the failing Eye

I could hold the latest Glowing —

Robbed by Liberty

For Her Jugular Defences —

This, too, I endured —

Hint of Glory — it afforded —

For the Brave Beloved —

Fraud of Distance — Fraud of Danger,

Fraud of Death — to bear —

It is Bounty — to Suspense's

Vague Calamity —

Stalking our entire Possession

On a Hair's result —

Then — seesawing — coolly — on it —

Trying if it split —

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“Robbed by Death—but that was easy” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/robbed-by-death-but-that-was-easy

Quick facts

Poem: Robbed by Death—but that was easy
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 16 lines
Form: Lyric Poem
Themes: Death & Loss, Love

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
Line length: Lines run 5-8 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: PoetryDBRobbed by Death—but that was easy 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 889885954e084017…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Death & Loss Love

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