Introduction & Overview of A Narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson

A Narrow Fellow in the Grass Introduction

"A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" is believed to have been written in 1865. A year later, it was published anonymously under the title "The Snake" in a journal called the Springfield Republican. The natural world is portrayed vividly throughout Dickinson's work, and this poem closely examines one of nature's most infamous creatures, the snake.

The poem begins with a description of the shock of encountering a snake. Although the poem's speaker never actually uses the word "snake," the scene is familiar enough for most readers to relate to it. The snake is almost magical as it moves, ghost-like, through the tall grass. The speaker sees only flashes of the snake's scaly skin, but there is evidence of its presence as the grass separates in its wake.

The poem goes on to illustrate how snakes can be deceptive. The word "barefoot" makes the speaker seem even more vulnerable...
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