by
Emily Dickinson on Feb 08, 2014 in
Poetry
Fame is a Fickle Food
(Part 5: The Single Hound IV)
Fame is a fickle food
Upon a shifting plate,
Whose table once a Guest, but not
The second time, is set.
Whose crumbs the crows inspect, 5
And with ironic caw
Flap past it to the Farmer’s corn;
Men eat of it and die.
Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1830. Her father
was a lawyer and treasurer of the local college. He also served in
Congress. Emily had a distant relationship with her mother who suffered
from depression. Around 1850 Emily began to compose her first poems. Her
initial poetic style was conventional though later she began to
experiment with different styles. Her poems dealt with various issues
such as nature, faith, and death. Emily died in 1886.
