I never lost as much but twice,
And that was in the sod;
Twice have I stood a beggar
Before the door of God!
Angels, twice descending,
Reimbursed my store.
Burglar, banker, father,
I am poor once more!
I never lost as much but twice
Summary
In "I never lost as much but twice," Emily Dickinson turns personal loss into a startling, compact confession. A speaker twice stands as a beggar before the door of God, emptied by grief, then twice finds her store restored by descending angels. Yet the final lines carry a sharp, wry sorrow, as she names burglar, banker, and father in one breath. Brief, dense, and quietly defiant, this poem rewards slow rereading.
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