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 - at noon. She takes a rather tentative approach to the table possibly because she is scared that this room that holds the food is too good to be true. Scared that if she might make a sudd…