Emily Dickinson

One Year Ago Jots What?

poem 296

One Year Ago Jots What? - meaning Summary

Anniversary of Changing Intimacy

The poem is about a one-year mark that prompts reflection on growth, changing intimacy, and missed understanding. The speaker revisits a past closeness that now seems small or immature—an "Acorn" compared to a potential "Giant"—and realizes emotional thirst and pain were misunderstood. Anniversary imagery widens into a nearly eternal moment when separated lovers examine each other from afar. Questions about aging, choice, and the value of experience close the poem with a defiant wish to escape further birthdays. Overall it traces regret, altered perspective, and the ache of belated recognition.

Read Complete Analyses

One Year ago jots what? God spell the word! I can’t Was’t Grace? Not that Was’t Glory? That will do Spell slower Glory Such Anniversary shall be Sometimes not often in Eternity When farther Parted, than the Common Woe Look feed upon each other’s faces so In doubtful meal, if it be possible Their Banquet’s true I tasted careless then I did not know the Wine Came once a World Did you? Oh, had you told me so This Thirst would blister easier now You said it hurt you most Mine was an Acorn’s Breast And could not know how fondness grew In Shaggier Vest Perhaps I couldn’t But, had you looked in A Giant eye to eye with you, had been No Acorn then So Twelve months ago We breathed Then dropped the Air Which bore it best? Was this the patientest Because it was a Child, you know And could not value Air? If to be Elder mean most pain I’m old enough, today, I’m certain then As old as thee how soon? One Birthday more or Ten? Let me choose! Ah, Sir, None!

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