Good to Hide, and Hear ‘Em Hunt!
poem 842
Good to Hide, and Hear ‘Em Hunt! - meaning Summary
Choice Between Secrecy and Speech
The poem sets up paired choices: hiding versus being found, knowing versus telling. Using the fox-and-hound image it suggests outcomes depend on motive and risk. Dickinson praises selective disclosure—sometimes silence is wise, sometimes speech is best—and ends by questioning whether a receptive listener exists. The tone is aphoristic, posing practical moral choices about secrecy, revelation, and the value of an attentive audience.
Read Complete AnalysesGood to hide, and hear ’em hunt! Better, to be found, If one care to, that is, The Fox fits the Hound Good to know, and not tell, Best, to know and tell, Can one find the rare Ear Not too dull
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