A miscellany like Grandma’s attic in Taunton, MA or Mission Street's Thrift Town in San Francisco or a Council, ID yard sale in cloudy mid April or a celestial roadmap no one folded—you take your pick.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
“Love—thou art high”
February is about to dip below the horizon, so here’s the last in our series of poems about love. This one’s by Emily Dickinson, & it’s a fine (if somewhat less well known) example of her poetic technique & thinking. The images & language are completely her own; for instance, the somewhat standard trope of two lovers rowing the boat of their love becomes transformed both by the phrase “sovereign Summer” & by the fact that their destination is—in potential at least—“the Sun.”
& also in characteristic fashion, Dickinson takes the poems conceits to a deep place—the final stanza is filled with darkness: “Smile—and alter—and prattle—and die.” The last three lines also seem fruitfully enigmatic—the words “Oddity” & “Nicknamed” carry connotative weight & can lead our readerly minds into poetic thinking. It’s worth noting that “Oddity” is a rhyming word, & as such is “underlined” & matched with “Eternity.”
A couple of notes: “Chimborazo” is an Ecuadorian volcano. Because the Earth isn’t a perfect sphere, the summit of Chimborazo is actually the surface point furthest from the earth’s center. “Ducal” means “Duke-like”—i.e., “royally.”
Hope you enjoy this profound meditation on love:
Love — thou art high —
I cannot climb thee —
But, were it Two —
Who knows but we —
Taking turns — at the Chimborazo —
Ducal — at last — stand up by thee —
Love — thou are deep —
I cannot cross thee —
But, were there Two
Instead of One —
Rower, and Yacht — some sovereign Summer —
Who knows — but we'd reach the Sun?
Love — thou are Veiled —
A few — behold thee —
Smile — and alter — and prattle — and die —
Bliss — were an Oddity — without thee —
Nicknamed by God —
Eternity —
Emily Dickinson
Labels:
poetry,
weekly poem
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I love Dickinson. I wrote about her once on my blog, albeit briefly.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the explanation about the volcano - I never knew.
My father bought me a collection of Dickinson tapes. I want to go dig them out and listen to them today.
Thanks Jen-- Dickinson was simply a very great poet with an extraordinary & singular gift. Hope you enjoy your listening.
ReplyDeleteI needed to read this - thank you! Now that the Tribute to Past Loves is in the process of becoming, all the information I need to complete it is coming my way. Amazing process! No wonder I love to paint. (Haven't for a long time).
ReplyDeleteI have a lot to say about love, have been thinking about it so much. Emily always says it best, though, doesn't she?
Thank you for this!
Hi Reya:
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it-- you have been doing some very good writing about this on "The Gold Puppy."
Dickinson is a unique artist-- never afraid to communicate her vision as directly as possible.