Heart, we will forget him, You and I, tonight! You must forget the warmth he gave, I will forget the light.
Emily DickinsonRead
I'm Nobody! Who are you? Are you – Nobody – too? Then there's a pair of us? Don't tell! they'd advertise – you know! How dreary – to be – Somebody! How public – like a Frog – To tell one's name – the livelong June – To an admiring Bog!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the idea of identity and the value of being 'nobody' in a society that often prizes recognition and fame.
Emily Dickinson's quote reflects a deep philosophical inquiry into identity, suggesting that being 'nobody' is a liberating state, one that allows for authenticity and connection with others who feel the same way. The contrast to being 'somebody' implies that societal recognition can be burdensome and dehumanizing, much like a frog croaking in a bog, seeking approval from an indifferent audience.
Themes
IdentityNobodySelfFamePublicSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about individuality at a creative workshop.
More from Emily Dickinson
All quotes →I held a jewel in my fingers And went to sleep. The day was warm, and winds were prosy; I said: "'T will keep." I woke and chid my honest fingers,— The gem was gone; And now an amethyst remembrance Is all I own.
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I'll tell you how the sun rose, a ribbon at a time. The steeples swam in amethyst, The news like squirrels ran. The hills untied their bonnets, The bobolinks begun. Then I said softly to myself, "That must have been the sun!
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My best Acquaintances are those With Whom I spoke no Word
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This is the Hour of Lead- Remembered, if outlived, As freezing persons, recollect the Snow- First-Chill-then Stupor- then the letting go---
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Luck is not chance, it's toil; fortune's expensive smile is earned.
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