It Did Not Surprise Me, Emily Dickinson: Summary & Analysis
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"It Did Not Surprise Me" by Emily Dickinson explores themes of departure, change, and the unpredictability of life's transitions. The poem delves into the speaker's response to an anticipated event, contemplating the impact of a departure and the potential implications for the speaker's own emotions and experiences. It Did Not Surprise Me
It did not surprise me —
So I said — or thought —
She will stir her pinions
And the nest forgot,
Traverse broader forests —
Build in gayer boughs,
Breathe in Ear more modern
God's old fashioned vows —
This was but a Birdling —
What and if it be
One within my bosom
Had departed me?
This was but a story —
What and if indeed
There were just such coffin
In the heart instead?
Summary "It Did Not Surprise Me" conveys the speaker's response to an anticipated event — likely the departure of a bird. The speaker's initial reaction is one of non-surprise, as they expect the bird to fly away and forget its nest. The spe…