The poem "I had been hungry all the years" by Emily Dickinson explores the persona's change of attitude towards food. This poem can be taken literally or metaphorically and I have chosen to understand it literally. From the beginning of the poem, the persona informs us that she (assuming the persona is a girl) has not eaten fully for quite a while: "all the years". However, now it is time for her to eat - …showed first 75 words of 444 total…

…showed last 75 words of 444 total…as the birds do - only crumbs - but her situation of being hungry changes. And this is what makes her realize that food is not as appealing as she once previously thought. Food is more delicious and wonderful when one is hungry but bland when one is ill and odd (or full). In satisfying her desire for food, she had learnt: "That hunger was the way Of persons outside windows, The entering takes away."