Dickinson's "A Spider sewed at Night"

Below are four printed versions of this poem, arranged in chronological order. For a discussion of Dickinson's composition process, see the Dickinson composition page.

1891 Poems version (edited by T.W. Higginson & Mary Loomis Todd)

XXVII. THE SPIDER. A spider sewed at night Without a light Upon an arc of white. If ruff it was of dame Or shroud of gnome, Himself, himself inform. Of immortality His strategy Was physiognomy.

1960 version from The Complete Poems (edited by Thomas H. Johnson)

1138 A Spider sewed at Night Without a Light Upon an Arc of White. If Ruff it was of Dame Or Shroud of Gnome Himself himself inform. Of Immortality His Strategy Was Physiognomy.

1998 version from The Variorum Edition (edited by R.W. Franklin)

1163 A spider sewed at night A Spider sewed at Night Without a Light Opon an arc of White – If Ruff it was of Dame Or Shroud of Gnome Himself himself inform – Of Immortality His strategy Was Physiognomy –

1998 version from Open Me Carefully (edited by Ellen Louise Hart and Martha Nell Smith)

141 A Spider sewed at Night Without a Light Upon an arc of White. If Ruff it was of Dame Or Shroud of Gnome Himself himself inform ' Of Immortality His strategy Was Physiognomy.         Emily.