A wounded deer leaps highest

by Emily Dickinson · (no date)
Published 01/07/1880

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!

#emily dickinson #hunting #mortality #pain #violence

6 likes

Related poems →

More by Emily Dickinson

Read "A wounded deer leaps highest" by Emily Dickinson. One of the best and most popular poems on The Poet's Place. Discover more trending, inspiring, and beautiful poetry by Emily Dickinson.