Lyric Poem · Nature

There is a flower that Bees prefer

by Emily Dickinson

There is a flower that Bees prefer —

And Butterflies — desire —

To gain the Purple Democrat

The Humming Bird — aspire —

And Whatsoever Insect pass —

A Honey bear away

Proportioned to his several dearth

And her — capacity —

Her face be rounder than the Moon

And ruddier than the Gown

Or Orchis in the Pasture —

Or Rhododendron — worn —

She doth not wait for June —

Before the World be Green —

Her sturdy little Countenance

Against the Wind — be seen —

Contending with the Grass —

Near Kinsman to Herself —

For Privilege of Sod and Sun —

Sweet Litigants for Life —

And when the Hills be full —

And newer fashions blow —

Doth not retract a single spice

For pang of jealousy —

Her Public — be the Noon —

Her Providence — the Sun —

Her Progress — by the Bee — proclaimed —

In sovereign — Swerveless Tune —

The Bravest — of the Host —

Surrendering — the last —

Nor even of Defeat — aware —

What cancelled by the Frost —

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“There is a flower that Bees prefer” by Emily Dickinson — quilloak.com/poems/there-is-a-flower-that-bees-prefer

Quick facts

Poem: There is a flower that Bees prefer
Poet: Emily Dickinson
Length: 32 lines
Form: Lyric Poem
Themes: Nature, Winter, Summer

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: 32 lines · 8 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 6-8 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: PoetryDBThere is a flower that Bees prefer 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 20c01271f9598d75…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Nature Winter Summer

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