"There is no Frigate like a Book" is a brief poem by Emily Dickinson, which she enclosed in a letter to a friend in 1873. The poem's speaker celebrates the power of literature, marveling that no splendid ship or noble steed has the power a book does to carry people to another world. Better yet, the speaker says, this magical transport is cheap: you don't have to be rich to read a book and be carried away by the glory of language.
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1There is no Frigate like a Book
2To take us Lands away
3Nor any Coursers like a Page
4Of prancing Poetry —
5This Traverse may the poorest take
6Without oppress of Toll —
7How frugal is the Chariot
8That bears the Human Soul —
1There is no Frigate like a Book
2To take us Lands away
3Nor any Coursers like a Page
4Of prancing Poetry —
5This Traverse may the poorest take
6Without oppress of Toll —
7How frugal is the Chariot
8That bears the Human Soul —
There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry —
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll —
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human Soul —
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
The Poem Aloud — Listen to two versions of the poem read aloud: the first the edited version Dickinson's first publishers released, and the latter the rediscovered original. Dickinson's early editors often made substantial changes to her distinctive style.
Dickinson's Life — Learn more about Dickinson's life and times at the website of the Emily Dickinson Museum.
The Unknown Dickinson — Read an essay by one of Dickinson's biographers about Dickinson's unconventional life.
The Poem in Dickinson's Hand — See images of the poem in Dickinson's own handwriting. Dickinson often wrote on tiny scraps of paper: one of the drafts of this poem appears on the torn corner of an envelope!
Dickinson's Legacy — Watch a recent discussion about Dickinson's influence on American poetry.