A narrow Fellow in the Grass - A poem by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson - A narrow Fellow in the Grass

A narrow Fellow in the Grass
Occasionally rides --
You may have met Him -- did you not
His notice sudden is --

The Grass divides as with a Comb --
A spotted shaft is seen --
And then it closes at your feet
And opens further on --

He likes a Boggy Acre
A Floor too cool for Corn --
Yet when a Boy, and Barefoot --
I more than once at Noon
Have passed, I thought, a Whip lash
Unbraiding in the Sun
When stooping to secure it
It wrinkled, and was gone --

Several of Nature's People
I know, and they know me --
I feel for them a transport
Of cordiality --

But never met this Fellow
Attended, or alone
Without a tighter breathing
And Zero at the Bone --

Added: on May 14th, 2007 at 5:03 PM | Viewed: 13579 times | Comments and analysis of A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson Comments (31)

A narrow Fellow in the Grass - Comments and Information
Poet: Emily Dickinson Poem: 986. A narrow Fellow in the Grass Volume: Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson Year: Published/Written in 1955 Comment 31 of 31, added on June 11th, 2008 at 11:13 AM. I wrote a paper on the poem in summer school many years ago . I was perplexed by the phrase "zero at the bone " which I interpreted as stone-cold fear .Recently I was shocked to read in the newspaper the teacher who taught the poem , a very sedate spinster , , was murdered by her brother-in-law . chas calz from Canada Comment 30 of 31, added on March 28th, 2008 at 5:08 PM. zero to the bone doesn't mean goosebumps. it means frozen fear, not necessarily the physical goosebumps. hl from United States Comment 29 of 31, added on May 14th, 2007 at 5:03 PM. The snake. Whenever you meet one unexpectedly, you experience a flight or fight response. The zero at the bone refers to goosebumps. Lighten up folks. Patricia George from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, A narrow Fellow in the Grass, has received 31 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Emily Dickinson with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: Emily Dickinson Poem: 986. A narrow Fellow in the Grass Volume: Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson Year: Published/Written in 1955 Last read: Aug 21 2008, 7:04PM Viewed 13579 times. Added on May 14th, 2007 at 5:03 PM.

Dickinson Info
Biography More Poems (1775 poems) Books