Who said “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.”?

Verified

Emily Dickinson. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLetter to T. W. Higginson (1870); Letters (1958) p. 474, no. 342a

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Letter to T. W. Higginson (1870); Letters (1958) p. 474, no. 342a.

APA

Dickinson, E. (n.d.). If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/32766-if-i-feel-physically-as-if-the-top/

MLA

Dickinson, Emily. “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/32766-if-i-feel-physically-as-if-the-top/. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Dickinson, Emily. “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 25, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/32766-if-i-feel-physically-as-if-the-top/.