I recently came across an article about why teens love Emily Dickinson, and it hit me: she was my poetic hero too. Her deeply emotive poetry was a perfect match for my moody adolescent self. I may not be a teenager anymore (though I can still be a little angsty), but my admiration for Emily Dickinson’s work hasn’t faded one bit. So, here’s my take on Dickinson’s legacy: my favorite quotes from her poems and letters, paired with Claude Monet’s dreamy paintings, because I feel they perfectly reflect her subtle exploration of nature and life’s fleeting moments. Enjoy!
1. “Hope is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –”
― Hope is the Thing With Feathers
2. “An ear can break a human heart
As quickly as a spear,
We wish the ear had not a heart
So dangerously near.”
― The Saddest Noise, the Sweetest Noise
3. “I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – Too?”
― I’m Nobody! Who Are You?
4. “Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
The Carriage held but just Ourselves –
And Immortality.”
― Because I Could Not Stop for Death
5. “Forever – is composed of Nows –.”
― Forever – is Composed of Nows
6. “Unable are the Loved to die
For Love is Immortality.”
― Unable Are the Loved to Die
7. “That it will never come again
Is what makes life so sweet.
Believing what we don’t believe
Does not exhilarate.”
― That It Will Never Come Again
8. “Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.”
― My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close
9. “I hope your rambles have been sweet, and your reveries spacious.”
― Letters of Emily Dickinson
10. “In the name of the bee,
And of the butterfly,
And of the breeze, amen!”
― The Gentian Weaves Her Fringes
11. “Write me of hope and love, and hearts that endured.”
― Letters of Emily Dickinson
12. “Judge tenderly—of Me.”
― This is My Letter to the World
And that’s Emily Dickinson for you—profound yet simple! Which of her quotes resonates with you? Drop your favorites in the comments or share them on social media (don’t forget to tag The Rockle). And if you’re after more poetic inspiration, check out our other quote collections: