To lose thee — sweeter than to gain
All other hearts I knew.
‘Tis true the drought is destitute,
But then, I had the dew!

The Caspian has its realms of sand,
Its other realm of sea.
Without the sterile perquisite,
No Caspian could be.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Emily Dickinson's poem To lose thee — sweeter than to gain

2 Comments

  1. john says:

    Emily Dickinson is actually comparing the sand in the Caspian (the other part besides water that comprises the sea) to the loss of love…what she is saying is that without knowing sadness we would not be able to feel joy….

  2. Beej says:

    Does anyone understand the second stanza about the Caspian? I don’t.

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