Analysis of The Outer—from the Inner

Emily Dickinson 1830 (Amherst) – 1886 (Amherst)



The Outer—from the Inner
Derives its Magnitude—
'Tis Duke, or Dwarf, according
As is the Central Mood—

The fine—unvarying Axis
That regulates the Wheel—
Though Spokes—spin—more conspicuous
And fling a dust—the while.

The Inner—paints the Outer—
The Brush without the Hand—
Its Picture publishes—precise—
As is the inner Brand—

On fine—Arterial Canvas—
A Cheek—perchance a Brow—
The Star's whole Secret—in the Lake—
Eyes were not meant to know.


Scheme ABXB CXCX ADXD CXXX
Poetic Form Quatrain  (50%)
Metre 0101010 01110 1111010 110101 01110 11001 11110100 010101 0101010 010101 11010001 110101 11010010 010101 01110001 101111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 476
Words 70
Sentences 3
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 88
Words per stanza (avg) 17
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

21 sec read
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Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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    Which female American poet, who was little-known during her lifetime, but had nearly 1800 of her poems published posthumously, rarely titled her poems?
    A Emily Dickinson
    B Sara Teasdale
    C Sylvia Plath
    D Amy Lowell