Emily Dickinson

Oh Shadow on the Grass

Oh Shadow on the Grass - meaning Summary

Uncertain Claim on Affection

The speaker addresses a shadow on the grass as if it might be either a passerby or a prospective lover, uncertain whether to accept or reject its presence. The poem compresses the anxiety of indecision: by delaying a judgment the speaker risks another claiming what she has eyed. Personifying the shadow as a "candidate" and "Unelected Face," the poem explores hesitation, projection, and the fear of missed emotional opportunities.

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Oh Shadow on the Grass, Art thou a Step or not? Go make thee fair my Candidate My nominated Heart – Oh Shadow on the Grass While I delay to guess Some other thou wilt consecrate – Oh Unelected Face –

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