Had this one Day not been.
Or could it cease to be
How smitten, how superfluous,
Were every other Day!
Lest Love should value less
What Loss would value more
Had it the stricken privilege,
It cherishes before.
Had this one Day not been.
Analysis, meaning and summary of Emily Dickinson's poem Had this one Day not been.
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In the first stanza of the poem, the speaker expresses the thought that there is one day that is so special that if this day had not been, or if it were to cease to be, every other day would be useless and superfluous. The word “smitten” might suggest that this day is of particular importance to the speaker, likely because he or she experienced an intense feeling of love on that day.
The second stanza of the poem explains that the day is so important to the speaker because it is the day he or she met a valuable person or had a valuable experience. The speaker indicates that if he or she had not experienced this day, he or she would not know what to value in life. The word “Loss” refers to the loss of this special day, which is so valuable to the speaker.
The poem seems to be about the importance of experiencing love and how it enables us to value life. It poses the hypothetical question of what would happen if we had not experienced that one special day and how we would feel without it. The poem expresses the belief that we should cherish what we have and be grateful for the special moments in our lives, as they help us to appreciate what is truly important.