The Bustle in a House

The Bustle in a House - context Summary

Published 1891

Emily Dickinson's short lyric observes the quiet, practical aftermath of a death in a household. Using everyday domestic imagery, the poem frames grief as a kind of orderly work: clearing away objects and emotions so life can continue. Its final line suggests that love is not destroyed but stored for an indefinite, even eternal, future. The poem compresses a complex emotional response into a few plain images, presenting mourning as both solemn duty and hopeful postponement rather than theatrical display.