A Little Bread a Crust a Crumb
poem 159
A little bread a crust a crumb A little trust a demijohn Can keep the soul alive Not portly, mind! but breathing warm Conscious as old Napoleon, The night before the Crown! A modest lot A fame petite A brief Campaign of sting and sweet Is plenty! Is enough! A Sailor’s business is the shore! A Soldier’s balls! Who asketh more, Must seek the neighboring life!
A Little Bread a Crust a Crumb - meaning Summary
Contentment Over Conquest
Dickinson compresses a meditation on appetite, ambition, and sufficiency into a short ironic address. The speaker lists small, tangible needs—"A little bread a crust a crumb"—and argues they sustain the self as fully as grand aspiration. Imagery of Napoleon and brief campaigns frames worldly fame and glory as intense but short-lived dramas contrasted with quiet, sufficient living. The poem suggests different callings require different rewards: sailors, soldiers, and those who pursue fame have their aims, while many can be content with modest comforts and consciousness rather than perpetual striving.
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