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'Tis One by One — the Father counts

Emily Dickinson

'Tis One by One — the Father counts —
And then a Tract between
Set Cypherless — to teach the Eye
The Value of its Ten —

Until the peevish Student
Acquire the Quick of Skill —
Then Numerals are dowered back —
Adorning all the Rule —

'Tis mostly Slate and Pencil —
And Darkness on the School
Distracts the Children's fingers —
Still the Eternal Rule

Regards least Cypherer alike
With Leader of the Band —
And every separate Urchin's Sum —
Is fashioned for his hand —

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

28 sec read
391

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXX XXXA XAXA XBXB
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 481
Words 92
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4
Full analysis for 'Tis One by One — the Father counts »

Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. more…

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    "'Tis One by One — the Father counts" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 18 Jan. 2025. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/12340/'tis-one-by-one-—-the-father-counts>.

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