The Bustle in a House Summary & Analysis
by Emily Dickinson

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The American poet Emily Dickinson wrote "The Bustle in a House" sometime around 1866. The poem describes the hectic work that follows the death of a loved one (arranging the funeral, organizing the deceased's possessions, and so forth), hinting that all this activity might, in part, be a coping mechanism for grief. The "Heart" and "Love" get tidied away, too, kept safe for the reunion with the departed loved one in the afterlife.

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