A Solemn Thing Within the Soul
poem 483
A Solemn Thing Within the Soul - context Summary
Composed 1862
Written in 1862, this short Dickinson poem frames inner maturation as a quiet, agricultural process. The speaker describes the soul "ripening" and hanging "golden," while a distant fall is heard below, likening spiritual readiness to fruit awaiting harvest. The sun and the Maker are minor agents—gentle forces that inspect and nudge rather than force change—so the poem emphasizes gradual readiness and the approaching possibility of harvest. Its tone is contemplative, portraying personal growth as incremental, observed more than driven, and drawing calm consolation from nearing completion.
Read Complete AnalysesA Solemn thing within the Soul To feel itself get ripe And golden hang while farther up The Maker’s Ladders stop And in the Orchard far below You hear a Being drop A Wonderful to feel the Sun Still toiling at the Cheek You thought was finished Cool of eye, and critical of Work He shifts the stem a little To give your Core a look But solemnest to know Your chance in Harvest moves A little nearer Every Sun The Single to some lives.
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