In the poem, How Happy is the Little Stone by Emily Dickinson, the author describes a scene where a singular, little stone rolls down the road.

            This rock, though associated with simplicity (line 10), is given great meaning. Emily Dickinson’s primary focus is on the freedom a stone has compared to us. “And doesn’t care about Careers, And Exigencies never fears,” illustrates this point and is also an example of the author’s use of personification. Though needlessly said, rocks do not have the capacity to fear and they are completely devoid of sentience. However, Dickinson’s description makes it far easier to relate to the stone, which would more commonly be overlooked or, if considered for even a second, thought of as dull and not worth continued thought. I feel it’s important to state that Dickinson did not simply make an observation about the stone. A different writer might utilize the stone and other attributes of it (its toughness, longevity, or creation) to stress different ideas. Really, Emily Dickinson could have used a variety of different objects to describe the same theme, such as a tree; but what I think makes the rock special is its utter contrast to humans and other sentient life, since even though it is still affected by its environment, the natural processes by which it is affected come far more gradually, thus creating a stronger sense of independence, while a tree on the other hand could be struck down by lightning, killed from thirst, or uprooted by a hurricane. On that last note, yes, a stone could be lifted and thrown by a storm just as extremely (more so, really) as a tree, but a rock won’t die from being torn from its roots, for it has none, and in general it isn’t likely to suffer any harm, especially in the context of its own perception, which it does not have.

            Emily Dickinson uses a rhyme scheme to further her theme and also make connections between different objects of her poem, therefore bolstering the theme further still. The exact rhyming of “Stone” and “alone” immediately puts forth the stone’s independence. “Careers” and “fears” work together as the latter word retroactively impacts “Careers,” thus connecting that negative emotion of fear to careers and later on, responsibilities in general. This is not necessarily intended to make one believe he or she should be afraid of having a job. It’s continuing the process of putting responsibilities in a negative light, thus emphasizing the relief of being a stone, an object that is devoid of such things. “Decree” and “simplicity,” an approximate rhyme, operate similarly, for “simplicity” alters our perception of the ninth line, “fulfilling absolute Decree,” which initially sounds like a staggering undertaking until “simplicity” negates that and does so more effectively because of the rhyme scheme, as the recognition of a rhyme makes it easier to connect the two thoughts.