I met a King this afternoon!
He had not on a Crown indeed,
A little Palmleaf Hat was all,
And he was barefoot, I’m afraid!

But sure I am he Ermine wore
Beneath his faded Jacket’s blue —
And sure I am, the crest he bore
Within that Jacket’s pocket too!

For ’twas too stately for an Earl —
A Marquis would not go so grand!
‘Twas possibly a Czar petite —
A Pope, or something of that kind!

If I must tell you, of a Horse
My freckled Monarch held the rein —
Doubtless an estimable Beast,
But not at all disposed to run!

And such a wagon! While I live
Dare I presume to see
Another such a vehicle
As then transported me!

Two other ragged Princes
His royal state partook!
Doubtless the first excursion
These sovereigns ever took!

I question if the Royal Coach
Round which the Footmen wait
Has the significance, on high,
Of this Barefoot Estate!

Analysis, meaning and summary of Emily Dickinson's poem I met a King this afternoon!

3 Comments

  1. Elizabeth says:

    This is a very beautiful poem. I am not into poetry very much, but this is very nice!

  2. KEVIN_C says:

    I like this poem even though i am not religious.

  3. Natalie says:

    Dickinson had written this poem to express that we can find God in all of his creatures, no matter how dingy, or what they do for a living. God makes kings of us all and that’s an important thing to remember. Obviously she was trying to point out the fact that we are all kings in the eyes of the Lord.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Do you have any comments, criticism, paraphrasis or analysis of this poem that you feel would assist other visitors in understanding the meaning or the theme of this poem by Emily Dickinson better? If accepted, your analysis will be added to this page of American Poems. Together we can build a wealth of information, but it will take some discipline and determination.