'They Have Not Chosen Me,' He Said Poem by Emily Dickinson

'They Have Not Chosen Me,' He Said

Rating: 3.2


'They have not chosen me,' he said,
'But I have chosen them!'
Brave—Broken hearted statement—
Uttered in Bethlehem!

I could not have told it,
But since Jesus dared—
Sovereign! Know a Daisy
They dishonor shared!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Ramesh T A 27 March 2010

God is the ruler and He cannot be ruled! His choice honour or dishonour has to be shared! There is no other go! Perhaps the poet says so I believe!

5 3 Reply

Ms Dickinson seems to write: 'I have not chosen him' thinking about her own father more than the Eternal Father. However the trouble is actual, poet needs both of them.

0 8 Reply
Gone Away 27 March 2010

Emily Dickinson sometimes refered to herself as a daisy a flower symbolic of innocence. Jesus is her sovereign and innocent though dishonoured by the betrayal of him.

4 3 Reply
Udiah Witness to YAH 27 March 2012

Nice, sweet, short poem, Emily honoring Christ and speaking of His Elect, and how both share in dishonor.

4 3 Reply
Kevin Straw 27 March 2010

An intense abstruse little poem - you need to know a little more about Christianity than I do to unwind the meaning. But I do like Dickinson's elliptical technique - well it's not a technique really - it is the woman herself, the way she makes lightning darts at mysteries to illuminate them.

4 2 Reply
Mac Che 21 January 2023

choice of God is godly!

0 0 Reply
MAHTAB BANGALEE 21 January 2023

God can chose godly! ~ it's the nature of chosen! ~- great~

0 0 Reply
Rob Lamberton 20 January 2023

They have not chosen me, ' he said, 'But I have chosen them! ' 5*****

0 0 Reply
Raman Nambisan Kesavath 28 March 2014

Is it as follows? Thy dishonor shared! (instead of) They dishonor shared!

0 0 Reply
Deepak Kumar Pattanayak 28 March 2014

Sharing honour and dishonour before the ' Sovereign' is what Emily tried to emphasise in this succinct yet profound poem........I feel all her poems carry eternity and a little bit penetration needed to understand better her poems..................Missed you Emily so much....

0 0 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson

Amherst / Massachusetts
Close
Error Success