Saturday, 24 May 2008

If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking - Emily Dickinson


If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.


- In the beginning of the poem nothing is wrong quite yet - "If I can stop"- meaning if she can prevent one heart from breaking, as the poem progresses Dickinson talks of 'easing' and 'cooling' pain so there becomes an awareness that you can't stop a heart from breaking...to help a fainting robin unto his nest suggests helping someone get back to being themselves and catching them before they fall. She would like to be able to stop a heart from breaking - however equally feels just as purposeful by soothing someones broken heart...

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