Death & Dying

A wounded deer leaps highest

by Emily Dickinson 1830–1886

Death & Dying

A wounded deer leaps highest,
I've heard the hunter tell;
'T is but the ecstasy of death,
And then the brake is still.

The smitten rock that gushes,
The trampled steel that springs;
A cheek is always redder
Just where the hectic stings!

Mirth is the mail of anguish,
In which it cautions arm,
Lest anybody spy the blood
And "You're hurt" exclaim!

MLA

Dickinson, Emily. “A wounded deer leaps highest.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/dickinson/7/.

Chicago

Dickinson, Emily. “A wounded deer leaps highest.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/dickinson/7/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Emily Dickinson