If you were coming in the fall

Emily Dickinson

If you were coming in the fall

Emily Dickinson
35 pages1-hour read
Fiction
Poem
Adult
Published in 1890

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

The unnamed speaker is a devoted individual waiting for the return of their loved one. They display a mixture of fierce loyalty and romantic idealism, which gradually gives way to intense vulnerability. Their perception of time shifts dramatically throughout their musings, initially treating seasons as minor annoyances before becoming overwhelmed by the reality of endless waiting.

Key Relationships

Romantic partner of The Subject

The unnamed subject is the absent lover of the speaker. Their physical absence drives the emotional core of the text, prompting intense contemplation about seasons, patience, and eternity. Though they never speak or appear directly in the text, their hoped-for return remains the central focus of the speaker's emotional state.

Key Relationships

Romantic interest of The Speaker