35 pages • 1 hour read
Emily DickinsonIf you were coming in the fall
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1890A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Reading Comprehension Answers
1. C. The speaker laments the amount of time they must spend away from their lover, but they say they are willing to endure any amount of time to see the person again.
2. A. The first stanza mentions seasons, the second stanza mentions a year and months, the third stanza mentions centuries, the fourth stanza mentions eternity, and the final stanza mentions “the length / … that is between” (Lines 17-18) the time of now and the time of then.
3. B. Dickinson is known for her use of the dash in seemingly odd places. It is also worth noting how she manipulates capitalization.
4. A. The bee is annoying or provoking the speaker’s feelings of desperation and longing. It is just hovering above them and could strike at any time.
5. D. The poem uses ballad stanzas and a lyrical construction with songlike lyrics, personal narrative, a single narrator, and a topic focused on the personal and emotional.
Related Titles
By Emily Dickinson
