The grass so little has to do, -- A sphere of simple green, With only…

The grass so little has to do, -- A sphere of simple green, With only butterflies to brood, And bees to entertain, And stir all day to pretty tunes The breezes fetch along, And hold the sunshine in its lap And bow to everything; And thread the dews all night, like pearls, And make itself so fine, -- A duchess were too common For such a noticing. And even when it dies, to pass In odors so divine, As lowly spices gone to sleep, Or amulets of pine. And then to dwell in sovereign barns, And dream the days away, -- The grass so little has to do, I wish I were the hay!

Emily Dickinson1830–1886 · poet · 1800s USAEmily Dickinson wrote nearly 1,800 poems in Amherst, Massachusetts, in short lines full of dashes that made ordinary words feel startling and new.47 quotes

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How sure this is: 95% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: The Grass, Poems: First Series (1890); Exact wording and attribution checked. Wording follows the early edited Poems editions (1890–1891), which differ from modern manuscript editions. Complete poem personifying grass’s work and seasonal transformation.
Work: The Grass, Poems: First Series (1890)
Sources checked: gutenberg.orgChecked using manual, 21 October 2026The Grass, Poems: First Series (1890); Exact wording and attribution checked. Wording follows the early edited Poems editions (1890–1891), which differ from modern manuscript editions. Complete poem personifying grass’s work and seasonal transformation.