Emily lived a relatively reclusive life in Amherst, Massachusetts; though she wrote nearly 1,800 poems, she published fewer than 10 of them. Ironically, this poem about the emptiness of fame became one of her most famous.
This brief poem displays her innovative use of em-dashes — and Capitalization — for Emphasis (as so often happens with Poetic Punctuation, her publisher and editors toyed with it, hence the multitude of texts floating around for a simple poem!)
Expand
+2
Share
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning