On dear Emily!

One of Dickinson’s best-loved short lyrics: an analysis

‘I’m Nobody! Who are you?’ is one of Emily Dickinson’s best-known lines, and as opening lines go, it’s wonderfully striking and memorable. What follows is the poem, followed by a brief analysis of its meaning and features.

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!