611.1863.Her sweet Weight on my Heart a Night

Her sweet Weight on my Heart a Night
Had scarcely deigned to lie —
When, stirring, for Belief’s delight,
My Bride had slipped away —

If ’twas a Dream — made solid — just
The Heaven to confirm —
Or if Myself were dreamed of Her —
The power to presume —

With Him remain — who unto Me —
Gave — even as to All —
A Fiction superseding Faith —
By so much — as ’twas real —

 

In ‘The Prowling Bee’ blog, Susan Kornfeld concludes an amazing explication of ‘Her sweet Weight’ with a caveat: “I don’t think a biographical interpretation adds much to the poem.” For me, the exact fit of Stanza 1 to ED’s life from 1847 to 1853 enriches my understanding of the entire poem.

ED met Sue at Amherst Academy in fall 1847 when both were 17. Their relationship quickly developed into deep friendship (philia) because of their shared love of poetry. In a January 1855 letter (L181), ED admitted “I love you as dearly, Susie, as when love first began, on the step at the front door, and under the Evergreens” (summer 1850). There is evidence, but not proof, in ED’s letters and poems that their relationship had become sexual (eros).

After Sue’s engagement to Austin in March 1853, she cooled her relationship with ED, much to ED’s chagrin.  Apparently, those 30+ months before Sue’s engagement felt like a dream to a love-starved ED, and for years afterward she felt abandoned. That history, which ED universalized in this poem, underlies ‘Her sweet Weight’.

“Belief’s delight” in Line 3 may refer to Sue’s bourgeoning acceptance of contemporary Christianity morality.

ED’s “Him” in Line 9 echoes Master Letter F3 (Summer 1861): “God made me- [Sir] Master-I did’nt be-myself. I dont know how it was done. He built the heart in me”.

ED’s “Fiction superseding Faith” in Line 11 is her dream, but her dream derives from her history.

Franklin, RW (ed). 1986. The Master Letters of Emily Dickinson. Amherst College Press

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