Emily Dickinson

At Last, to Be Identified!

poem 174

At Last, to Be Identified! - meaning Summary

Dawn as Final Revelation

The poem depicts a sudden, late arrival of recognition or unity after a long interval of darkness. The speaker celebrates finally being "identified" and seeing the light at another's side, suggesting an emotional or existential completion. Temporal images—midnight, the morning star, sunrise—mark a passage from separation and uncertainty into clarity and companionship. The closing line emphasizes the distance once traveled to reach this day, so the tone mixes relief with wonder at how far the speaker has come before this long-awaited revelation.

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At last, to be identified! At last, the lamps upon thy side The rest of Life to see! Past Midnight! Past the Morning Star! Past Sunrise! Ah, What leagues there were Between our feet, and Day!

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