Fame Is a Fickle Food (1659)
Fame Is a Fickle Food (1659) - context Summary
Written 1880, Published 1891
Dickinson’s short poem treats fame as unstable and unwholesome. Using a domestic image — a shifting plate and scattered crumbs — it suggests that public acclaim is offered irregularly, inspected by opportunistic observers, and ultimately of little sustenance. The closing line warns that pursuing or consuming fame can be harmful. Written around 1880 and first printed in the 1891 Poems collection, the poem reflects Dickinson’s skepticism about public recognition and aligns with her reclusive habit of publishing little during her lifetime.
Read Complete AnalysesFame is a fickle food Upon a shifting plate Whose table once a Guest but not The second time is set. Whose crumbs the crows inspect And with ironic caw Flap past it to the Farmer’s Corn– Men eat of it and die.
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