The speaker describes a near-death experience by water. She almost drowns, and three times she feels herself separating from her breath, yet something won’t let her go. The sea itself seems alive: it tosses her like a ball, makes “Blue faces” in her face—perhaps spray or the grimacing waves—and shoves away a far-off sail. That sail matters to her because, while dying, she’s grateful to glimpse something that reminds her of human faces. Then the violent struggle eases. The waves grow sleepy, the wind quiets like a child being lulled, and at sunrise, something changes. She calls herself a “Chrysalis”—a cocoon—and when the light kisses it, she stands up alive. The mood shifts from panic to a strange calm, and finally to a gentle, almost miraculous rebirth. It feels like drowning and resurrection, reported with Dickinson’s eerie detachment and sudden tenderness.
Three times -- we parted -- Breath -- and I -- — Summary
Three times -- we parted -- Breath -- and I -- Three times -- He would not go -- But strove to stir the lifeless Fan The Waters -- strove to stay.
Three Times -- the Billows tossed me up -- Then caught me -- like a Ball -- Then made Blue faces in my face -- And pushed away a sail
That crawled Leagues off -- I liked to see -- For thinking -- while I die -- How pleasant to behold a Thing Where Human faces -- be --
The Waves grew sleepy -- Breath -- did not -- The Winds -- like Children -- lulled -- Then Sunrise kissed my Chrysalis -- And I stood up -- and lived --