Year: 2026

790.1863.Growth of Man—like Growth of Nature—

Three alternate words in parentheses, but I prefer ED’s original choices.

Growth of Man—like Growth of Nature—
Gravitates within—
Atmosphere, and Sun endorse (confirm) it—
But it stir—alone—

Each—its difficult (absolute) Ideal
Must achieve—Itself
Through the solitary prowess
Of a Silent Life—

Effort—is the sole condition—
Patience of Itself—
Patience of opposing forces—
And intact (direct, distinct ) Belief—

Looking on—is the Department
Of its Audience—
But Transaction—is assisted
By no Countenance—

Stanza 1 is the product of a self-oriented poet living in an anthropocentric world.

Line 3: For plants, the Sun is the Sun. For humans, life gets more complicated.

Line 4: To say, “But it stir—alone—“, is false for everyone. Depending on how the cards of life are dealt, some people get better DNA and some people get better parents. No one “stir[s]” alone.

The referent of “it” (Lines 3 & 4) is “Growth of Man/Nature”. Here “Nature” includes all living creatures other than “Man”, a perfect illustration of anthropocentric thinking: Man is separate from Nature. Most living humans hold this belief, which is why global warming is such a wicked problem.

Stanza 2

The “its” in Line 5 may refer to “Man”, each individual human, or “Nature”, each individual living organism, plant or animal, or both. We never know with ED’s pronouns, but the capitalized “Itself” (Line 7) suggests she’s referring to humans. If so, Line 8 claims that each person can reach their “difficult Ideal” only “Through the solitary prowess / Of a Silent Life”. By “prowess”, ED’s probably thinking of mental / emotional power. Sounds like a precursor of Henley’s 1875 “I am the master of my fate / I am the captain of my soul”. That mindset may have been a Victorian thing, but it certainly helped that ED’s parents provided her an excellent education and free room and board for life.

Stanza 3

This little sermonette augments the debatable beliefs of Stanza 2 but does assert truisms: On a personal level, “Effort / Patience / intact Belief” are useful in attaining “difficult Ideal[s]”.

Stanza 4

Looking on—is the Department
Of its Audience—
But Transaction—is assisted
By no Countenance—

For ED, the “Department of its Audience” was herself and occasionally a few select others. Sue, her sister-in-law, and T.W. Higginson contributed comments on poems ED shared, but ED rarely took their advice, as she admits in Lines 15-16:

“But Transaction—is assisted
By no Countenance —”

789.1863.All but Death, can be Adjusted —

All but Death, can be Adjusted —
Dynasties repaired —
Systems — settled in their Sockets —
Citadels — dissolved —

Wastes of Lives — resown with Colors
By Succeeding Springs —
Death — unto itself — Exception —
Is exempt from Change —

ED’s focus on the finality of “Death” belies any Christian optimism about resurrection and heaven. That perspective is amazing given the milieu of her Amherst childhood.

Saint Paul would disagree with ED (I Corinthians 15: 51-58, KJV):

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

 

788.1863.Publication – is the Auction

No alternate words or phrases.

Publication – is the Auction
Of the Mind of Man –
Poverty – be justifying
For so foul a thing

Possibly – but We – would rather
From Our Garret go
White – unto the White Creator –
Than invest – Our Snow –

Thought belong to Him who gave it –
Then – to Him Who bear
It’s Corporeal illustration – sell
The Royal Air –

In the Parcel – Be the Merchant
Of the Heavenly Grace –
But reduce no Human Spirit
To Disgrace of Price –

Adam DeGraff’s explication at The Prowling Bee leaves little to be said, except perhaps for Stanza 2:

“. . . . We – would rather
From Our Garret go
White – unto the White Creator –
Than invest – Our Snow –”

EDLex defines “White” (Line 7) as both an adjective and a noun. Among the EDLex adjective definitions of “white” are “virginal, innocent, chaste, pure, clean, untainted”. Among its noun definitions are “purity, virtue, goodness”.

Among the noun definitions of “Snow (Line 8)” are “purity, innocence, good reputation”.

Given those connotations, I would translate Stanza 2 into the prose sentence:

I [ED] would rather emerge from my bedroom innocent and chaste than “sell” my innocence and good reputation for the “Disgrace of Price”.

Translated, ED seems to equate selling her poetry with prostituting her body, “so foul a thing”, except “Possibly” for “Poverty”.

That last exception, “Possibly” for “Poverty”, softens the judgmental tone of this poem for me. ED might consider selling her poems, if not selling meant “Poverty”.

A translation of Fr788’s four stanzas in four sentences:

Publication is the auction of  the mind of man; only poverty justifies so foul a thing, possibly.

I would rather emerge from my bedroom innocent and chaste than sell my innocence and good reputation for the disgrace of price.

Thinking belongs to God who gave it to us, then to Christ who bore its corporeal illustration to sell God’s royal plan.

In that plan resides Christ, who illustrated God’s grace to us; don’t reduce our human spirit to disgrace of price.

785.1863.It dropped so low — in my Regard —

ED copied this poem into Fascicle in ink in 1863, then waited 17 years later (about 1880) to add the alternatives in pencil. ED’s alternates are in parentheses:

It dropped so low — in my Regard —
I heard it hit the Ground —
And go to pieces on the Stones
At bottom of my Mind — (in the ditch)

Yet blamed the Fate that fractured (flung it) — less
Than I reviled (denounced) Myself,
For entertaining Plated Wares
Upon My Silver Shelf —

• Line 4: I prefer her original phrase, “At bottom of my Mind”, because it maintains the meter of the stanza and because ED is talking about her “Mind”, not a “ditch”.
• Line 5: I prefer her alternative, “flung it”, because “”Fate” didn’t “fracture” “It”, the “Stones” did.
• Line 6: I prefer ED’s original “reviled” because it vividly describes her self-disgust.

 

For the first time, ED did not include alternative words and phrases at the same time she copied her poem into Fascicle 37. Instead, she waited 17 years (“about 1880”) and then penciled her alternatives onto her ink manuscript.

As was her wont, ED began this poem with an orphaned pronoun, “It”. I think ED’s romantic infatuation with Rev. Charles Wadsworth was both the seed of this poem and the unstated cedent of “It”. I also think ED was mad at herself for wasting so much time obsessing over “Plated Wares”.

In retrospect, I think Wadsworth was the muse for some of her finest poems.

PS. . . Both Johnson (1955, ‘Complete Poems’) and Franklin (1998, ‘Poems of Emily Dickinson’) published Line 4 without using ED’s 1880 alternate phrase, “in the ditch”, which was their standard protocol. However, they did publish her 1880 alternates in Lines 5 and 6, which was definitely not their usual protocol. Did they think they were “improving” ED’s poem?

004.1854.I have a Bird in spring

I prefer ED’s alternate phrase in Line 7.

I have a Bird in spring
Which for myself doth sing —
The spring decoys.
And as the summer nears —
And as the Rose appears,
Robin is gone. 

(Then will) I not repine
Knowing that Bird of mine
Though flown —
Learneth beyond the sea
Melody new for me
And will return. 

Fast in a safer hand
Held in a truer Land
Are mine —
And though they now depart
Tell I my doubting heart
They’re thine. 

In a serener Bright,
In a more golden light
I see
Each little doubt and fear
Each little discord here
Removed. 

Then will I not repine,
Knowing that Bird of mine
Though flown
Shall in a distant tree
Bright melody for me
Return.

 

………………………………………

 

My interpretation of F4:

 

 

 

 

 

003.1853.On this wondrous sea – sailing silently –

Emily Dickinson (ED) gave Sue a copy of this poem in March 1853.

On this wondrous sea – Sailing silently –
Ho! Pilot! Ho!
Knowest thou the shore
Where no breakers roar –
Where the storm is o’er?

In the silent West
Many – the sails – at rest –
The Anchors fast.
Thither I pilot thee –
Land! Ho! Eternity!
Ashore at last!

…………………………………

My interpretation by stanzas:

Sweet Sue, we have a wonderful relationship. It’s as if we are together in a small sailboat, silently sailing. Do you know a shore where no breakers roar and the storm is o’er?

Dearest Emily, in the silent west many sails rest, their anchors fast, and that’s where I’m taking you. Look, I see land! It’s called Eternity! We’re home at last!

001.1850.Awake ye muses nine, sing me a strain divine

Awake ye muses nine, sing me a strain divine,
Unwind the solemn twine, and tie my Valentine!

Oh the Earth was made for lovers, for damsel, and hopeless swain,
For sighing, and gentle whispering, and unity made of twain.
All things do go a courting, in earth, or sea, or air,
God hath made nothing single but thee in His world so fair!
The bride, and then the bridegroom, the two, and then the one,
Adam, and Eve, his consort, the moon, and then the sun;
The life doth prove the precept, who obey shall happy be,
Who will not serve the sovereign, be hanged on fatal tree.
The high do seek the lowly, the great do seek the small,
None cannot find who seeketh, on this terrestrial ball;
The bee doth court the flower, the flower his suit receives,
And they make merry wedding, whose guests are hundred leaves;
The wind doth woo the branches, the branches they are won,
And the father fond demandeth the maiden for his son.
The storm doth walk the seashore humming a mournful tune,
The wave with eye so pensive, looketh to see the moon,
Their spirits meet together, they make their solemn vows,
No more he singeth mournful, her sadness she doth lose.
The worm doth woo the mortal, death claims a living bride,
Night unto day is married, morn unto eventide;
Earth is a merry damsel, and heaven a knight so true,
And Earth is quite coquettish, and beseemeth in vain to sue.
Now to the application, to the reading of the roll,
To bringing thee to justice, and marshalling thy soul:
Thou art a human solo, a being cold, and lone,
Wilt have no kind companion, thou reap’st what thou hast sown.
Hast never silent hours, and minutes all too long,
And a deal of sad reflection, and wailing instead of song?
There’s Sarah, and Eliza, and Emeline so fair,
And Harriet, and Susan, and she with curling hair!
Thine eyes are sadly blinded, but yet thou mayest see
Six true, and comely maidens sitting upon the tree;
Approach that tree with caution, then up it boldly climb,
And seize the one thou lovest, nor care for space, or time!
Then bear her to the greenwood, and build for her a bower,
And give her what she asketh, jewel, or bird, or flower—
And bring the fife, and trumpet, and beat upon the drum—
And bid the world Goodmorrow, and go to glory home!

………………………………………………………………………………….

Larry BJuly 24, 2022

Elbridge Bowdoin, Edward Dickinson’s junior law partner (1847-1855), was about the same age (mid-20s) as Benjamin Newton, Edward’s intern and ED’s mentor, but Newton was married and Bowdoin was not. Bowdoin, a lifelong bachelor, kept this Valentine poem for 40 years. Given its boldly sensual nature, we know where Emily’s mind was at age 19. However, how many Hallmark Valentine cards have you ever seen with a line like this: “The worm doth woo the mortal, death claims a living bride”? ED had more than romantic love on her mind.

Larry B January 3, 2025

This early Valentine poem tells us that Susan Gilbert, an orphaned newcomer to Amherst, had joined ED’s inner clique of friends by 4 March 1850. Their acquaintance began fall 1847 when Susan enrolled for a semester at Amherst Academy. Their romantic love probably began summer 1850 (L181, January 1855: “I love you as dearly, Susie, as when love first began, on the step at the front door, and under the Evergreens, and it breaks my heart sometimes, because I do not hear from you.”)