LarryB

840.1864.Love—is that later Thing than Death—

Love—is that later Thing than Death—
More previous—than Life—
Confirms it at its entrance—And
Usurps it—of itself—

Tastes Death—the first—to (prove) the sting
The Second—to its friend—
Disarms the little interval—
Deposits Him with God—

Then hovers—an inferior Guard—
Lest this Beloved Charge
Need—once in an Eternity—
A (lesser) than the Large—

My interpretation of F840:

1. 1. Love is our guardian angel, who exists before our birth and after our death. Love confirms our life at birth, takes control of our life while we live, and at death accompanies our spirit to Heaven.
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   2. Love tastes death first to prove the sting, then, during “the little interval” between life and afterlife, removes the sting for us. Finally, Love gives our spirit to God.
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   3. Love, our guardian angel, then hovers over our spirit in Heaven, in case our spirit needs a “lesser” friend than God.

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Coda:

For you and I have a guardian angel on high
With nothin’ to do
But to give to you and to give to me
Love forever true”.

“True Love,” written by Cole Porter for the 1956 musical film High Society.

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ED inserted four alternate words in the manuscript of this poem: Line 5 “pass, prove”; Line 11 “Miss”; and Line 12 “lesser”.

I prefer alternate words “prove” and “lesser” over the published “hand” and “smaller” and have used them in this post.

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Three notes about my interpretation of F840:

1. Stanza 1 tells us Love is “More previous—than Life” and “Confirms” itself “at Life’s “entrance”, that is, at birth. Nineteen years after ED composed this poem, she wrote her pen-friend, Maria Whitney:
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   “the angel begins in the morning in every human life” (L824, May 1883 ).
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   This excerpt from an 1883 letter suggests ED may have had a lifelong core belief that each person has a guardian angel watching over them before birth, during life, and after death.
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2. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul said, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
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3. EDLex defines “Death” as (1) “the process of spirit separating from the body” and (2) “the transition from this world to the world beyond”. In my interpretation of this poem, the “sting” of Death no longer happens when the spirit leaves the body, nor does it happen in the “grave” because the guardian angel removes the sting.

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The belief that each person has a guardian angel spans thousands of years, with roots in ancient Babylonian, Zoroastrian, and Greek traditions before being adopted into Judaism and early Christianity. It became a significant, widely accepted concept in Christianity by the early centuries AD, and was later formally solidified in Catholic theology.  (Google AI)

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ED needed a guardian angel and so she created one.

838.1864.Robbed by Death—but that was easy—

Robbed by Death—but that was easy—
To the failing Eye
I could hold the latest Glowing—
Robbed by Liberty

For Her Jugular Defences—
This, too, I endured—
Hint of Glory—it afforded—
For the Brave Beloved—

Fraud of Distance—Fraud of Danger,
Fraud of Death—to bear—
It is Bounty—to Suspense’s
Vague Calamity—

Staking our entire Possession
On a Hair’s result—
Then—seesawing—coolly—on it—
Trying if it split—

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

My biographical interpretation of F838:
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Stanza 1
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In March 1862, I [ED] lost my good friend Frazer Stern in the Battle of New Bern, NC. I had been worried sick about him. I wrote my 1863 poem, ‘A Dying Tiger — moaned for Drink’, about Frazer, who lived 10 minutes after a Confederate miniball hit him. He moaned for water and I imagined holding him as his eyes dimmed in death. He died defending freedom for (enjambed) . . .

Stanza 2

all men, both white and black. Though worried sick, I endured. He was patriotic and I hope his death affords him a hint glory.

Stanza 3

I had to tolerate my awful fear of Frazer’s distance, danger, and demise. His death is the only reward I get for fearing some vague catastrophe.
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Stanza 4
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I staked my close friendship with Frazer on fate’s decision whether he should live or die. Fate seesawed between the two, then chose death.

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If Lines 2-3 sound familiar, here are Lines 5-8 of ‘A Dying Tiger — moaned for Drink’ (F529), 1863:

“His Mighty [Eye]Balls — in death were thick —
But searching —
I could see A Vision on the Retina
Of Water — and of me”

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“Frazer Stearns was a close friend of Emily Dickinson and her brother Austin. His death in the Battle of New Bern in March 1862 deeply affected Dickinson, prompting her to write about him in letters and likely influencing her poetry.” (Google AI)

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ED Lexicon defines “Calamity” as: Catastrophe; devastation; tragedy; misery; misfortune; grievous trouble; destruction that causes distress; adverse events such as plagues, famines, earthquakes, or violent storms

ED Lexicon defines “Fraud” as: Deceit; deception; trick.

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If Lines 2-3 sound familiar, here’s Lines 5-8 of ‘A Dying Tiger — moaned for Drink’ (F529), 1863:

“His Mighty [Eye]Balls — in death were thick —
But searching —
I could see A Vision on the Retina
Of Water — and of me”

837.1864.I make His Crescent fill or lack—

I make His Crescent fill or lack—
His Nature is at Full
Or Quarter—as I signify—
His Tides—do I control—

He holds superior in the Sky
Or gropes, at my Command
Behind inferior Clouds—or round
A Mist’s slow Colonnade—

But since We hold a Mutual Disc—
And front a Mutual Day—
Which is the Despot, neither knows—
Nor Whose—the Tyranny—

 

Pronoun identities: “I” is the Sun and “He/Him” is the Moon.

If these identities are correct, this poem is unusual. I can’t remember a single other ED poem where “I” means anything but ED/Poet.

Here’s my interpretation of the poem, stanza by stanza:

1. I make the Moon’s crescent wax or wane. I command whether the Moon is full or quarter. I control the tides.
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2. I also command whether the Moon is superior in the night sky or struggles with clouds and mist that block his face from view.
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3. But since We have the same round face: a full Moon at night and a bright orb during the day, which of us is the despot, which creates the fear?

PS. “Day” must mean one 24-hour day because both Sun and Moon “face” it.

PPS. Adam’s explication of this poem on TPB is excellent, but it ends without explaining the last line: “Nor Whose—the Tyranny”. Does the Sun tyrannize the Moon, or the Moon tyrannize the Sun? Is one of them really a “Despot”?

836.1864.Color — Caste — Denomination —

Color — Caste — Denomination —
These — are Time’s Affair —
Death’s diviner Classifying
Does not know they are —

As in sleep — All Hue forgotten —
Tenets — put behind —
Death’s large—Democratic fingers
Rub away the Brand —

If Circassian — He is careless —
If He put away
Chrysalis of Blonde—or Umber —
Equal Butterfly —

They emerge from His Obscuring —
What Death — knows so well —
Our minuter intuitions —
Deem unplausible —

My interpretation of each stanza, ED speaking:

1. Color — Caste — Denomination —
   These — are Time’s Affair —
   Death’s diviner Classifying
   Does not know they are —

I believe a person’s skin color, social class, and religion don’t matter. They are determined by one’s parents and ancestors. After we die, death will decide our fate, and death doesn’t see these distinctions.

2. As in sleep — All Hue forgotten —
   Tenets — put behind —
   Death’s large—Democratic fingers
   Rub away the Brand —

I also believe that democratic death doesn’t care about skin color, social class, and religion. It erases these superficial distinctions.

3. If Circassian — He is careless —
   If He put away
   Chrysalis of Blonde—or Umber —
   Equal Butterfly — (enjambed with next line.

I believe death deals the same with butterflies, Death doesn’t care if they’re white or blond or dark brown. They emerge from their chrysalises as equals in death’s eyes.

4. They emerge from His Obscuring —
   What Death — knows so well —
   Our minuter intuitions —
   Deem unplausible —
   
   Our minute human classifications emerge from death’s denial as unplausible, a fact death knows so well.

836.1864.Color — Caste — Denomination —

Color — Caste — Denomination —
These — are Time’s Affair —
Death’s diviner Classifying
Does not know they are —

As in sleep — All Hue forgotten —
Tenets — put behind —
Death’s large—Democratic fingers
Rub away the Brand —
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If Circassian — He is careless —
If He put away
Chrysalis of Blonde—or Umber —
Equal Butterfly —
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They emerge from His Obscuring —
What Death — knows so well —
Our minuter intuitions —
Deem unplausible —
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In a genetic sense that ED could not know, not just humans share death, but every individual organism: plant, animal, bacterium, fungus, and even, in a sense, virus, with their single-stranded genetic code of RNA. Death’s “Democratic Fingers” end existence for every “individual” of every “species”.
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What we know now is that ED’s obsession with individual human “Death” was completely anthropocentric. What really matters is transmission of genetic code from each parent generation to its descendants. Genetic codes are “immortal” in a sense, but their “immortality” does not mean they stay the same; they change continually by natural selection and its consequence, evolution.

We organisms pass from existence to non-existence. Death of an individual organism doesn’t matter, so long as it leaves at least one copy of its DNA in the next generation. The only complete failure of a DNA or RNA molecule is extinction of its “species”. If we humans cause that extinction, we have committed a biocentric sin. Of course, we humans may intentionally cause extinction of a pathogen “species” like smallpox for our own anthropocentric benefit, but if we do we have intentionally committed a biocentric sin for a good reason.
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All of this is not to say that ED’s poems don’t matter. We love their rhythm and rhyme, their sound and sense. When we enjoy a poem, biology doesn’t matter. We can always learn biology later, when we aren’t reading ED’s poems.

834.1864.Fitter to see Him, I may be

ED included ten (10) alternate words (Lines 4, 8, 9, 10, 16, 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28). I prefer her alternates in Lines 4, 8, 16, and 28 and her original words in Lines 9, 10 (spelling corrected), 20, 21, 26, and 27. Here is F834, with my preferred alternate words in parentheses:

1. Fitter to see Him, I may be
   For the long Hindrance — Grace — to Me —
   With Summers, and with Winters, grow,
   Some passing Year — A (charm) bestow
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2. To make Me fairest of the Earth —
   The Waiting — then — will seem so worth
   I shall impute with half a pain
   The blame that I was (common) — then —
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3. Time to anticipate His Gaze —
   Its first — Delight — and then — Surprise —
   The turning o’er and o’er my face
   For Evidence it be the Grace —
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4. He left behind One Day — So less
   He seek Conviction, That — be This —
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5. I only must not grow so new
   He’ll mistake — and ask for me
   Of me — when first unto the Door
   I go — to Elsewhere go no more —
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6. I only must not change so fair
   He’ll sigh — “The Other — She — is Where?”
   The Love, tho’, will array me right
   I shall be perfect — in His sight —
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7. If He perceive the other Truth —
   Upon an Excellenter Youth —
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8. How sweet I shall not lack in Vain —
   But gain — thro’ loss — Through Grief— obtain —
   The Beauty that reward Him best —
   The Beauty of (Belief) — at Rest —

My interpretation of F834, stanza by stanza:

1.  If Wadsworth ever returns to Amherst, I’ll be fitter to meet Him because of my long wait for Him to return. Waiting may feel like a hindrance, but during that time, God will give me grace. Passing seasons and passing years will bestow on me a new trait; (enjambed)
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2. they will make me fairest of the Earth. The waiting, then, will seem so worthwhile. I half attribute my emotional pain to Wadsworth for choosing to visit me in 1860. Nevertheless, I hope He returns.
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3. The wait has given me time to anticipate His gaze, its first delight and then his surprise as he turns over and over in his mind my face as he remembers it. He’ll wonder if my transformation has been by the grace of God and search for evidence that I’m the same person he (enjambed)
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4. left behind that summer day in 1860. My face will be so different that he’ll search it for evidence that that face is this face.
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5. I only must not grow so fair that He’ll think he’s talking to a different person and ask for me of me when first I go to the door. No, I’ll welcome Him and never afterward leave His side.
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6. I only must not change so fair that He’ll sigh, “The other ED, where is she, where?” Our love, though, will array me right; I shall be perfect in His sight.
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7. If He decides that I am not ED, but rather a younger, prettier woman than he remembers, that’s okay with me because He will bestow his love on me but think he’s loving a prettier youth.
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8. And even if that happens, how sweet that I shall not lack his love but gain, through loss, through grief, the beauty that he likes best, the beauty of belief, at rest.
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This poem is ED’s wishful imagination.