Adrift! A little boat adrift!
And night is coming down!
Will no one guide a little boat
Unto the nearest town?

So Sailors say — on yesterday —
Just as the dusk was brown
One little boat gave up its strife
And gurgled down and down.

So angels say — on yesterday —
Just as the dawn was red
One little boat — o’erspent with gales —
Retrimmed its masts — redecked its sails —
And shot — exultant on!

Analysis, meaning and summary of Emily Dickinson's poem Adrift! A little boat adrift!

6 Comments

  1. John Pendrey says:

    What is ‘brown dusk’ about?

  2. Emile Moelich says:

    “Adrift! A little boat adrift!”
    Try to find the way on an open sea with the swelling stormy waves in a little boat adrift with no lighthouse in sight.

  3. Andy says:

    Is it not possible that Emily is reffering to herself as the little boat, lost and alone with no one looking for her, drowning in her own emotion, but comforted with the thought that on resurrection (the new dawn) she will be whole again?

  4. tom jizzle says:

    this is my favorite poem; learn to spell tragedy biznitch

  5. elizabeth says:

    this peom is one of my favorites so far. it gives you a positive view and a negitive one. it shows that you can look at anything with a positive attitude

  6. sarah says:

    This poem was a great sea tragety! I enjoyed it greatly! It is well writen and shows meaning, wonderful!

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