On the Occasion of Emily Dickinson's Birthday

Photo Credit: Wendy Macdal The Boston Globe

Today (December 10) is Emily Dickinson's birthday.

There's a mountain of biographical material about Emily, so I'm going to refer readers of this blog to an excellent all-encompassing biography, courtesy of the Poetry Foundation. 

But what would be fun is to share a few of her poems - some well known, some not so much. 

I'm using The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, edited by Thomas H. Johnson, originally published in 1960, by Little, Brown and Company.

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers-
Untouched by Morning -
And untouched by Noon -
Lie the meek members of the Resurrection -
Rafter of Satin - and Roof of Stone!

Grand to the Years - in the Crescent - above them -
Worlds scoop their Arcs -
And Firmaments - row -
Diadems - drop - and Doges - surrender -
Soundless as dots - on a Disc of Snow -

I reason Earth is short -
And Anguish - absolute -
And many hurt,
But, what of that?

I reason we could die -
The best Virtality
Cannot excel Decay,
But what of that?

I reason, that in Heaven -
Somehow, it will be even -
Some new Equation, given -
But, what of that?

I gained it so - 
By Climbing slow -
By Catching at the Twigs that grow
Between the Bliss - and me -
It hung so high
As well the Sky
Attempt by Strategy -

I said I gained it -
This - was all -
Look, how I clutch it
Lest it fall -
And I, a Pauper go -
Unfitted by an instant's Grace
For the Contented - Beggar's face
I wore - an hour ago -

This is my letter to the World
That never wrote to Me -
The simple News that Nature told -
With tender Majesty

Her Message is committed
To Hands I cannot see -
For love of Her - Sweet - countrymen -
Judge tenderly - of Me

Photo Credit: World Future Fund

I prayed, at first, a little Girl,
Because they told me to -
But stopped, when qualified to guess
How prayer would feel - to me -

If I believed God looked around,
Each time my Childish eye
Fixed full, and steady, on his own
In Childish honesty -

And told him what I'd like, today,
And parts of his far plan
That baffled me -
The mingled side
Of his Divinity -

And often since, in Danger
I count the force 'twould be
To have a God so strong as that
To hold my life for me

Till I could take the Balance
That tips so frequent now,
It takes me all the while to poise -
And then - it doesn't stay -

These Strangers in a foreign World,
Protection asked of me -
Befriend them, lest Yourself in Heaven
Be found a Refugee -

Estranged from Beauty -
For Beauty is Infinity -
And power to be finite ceased
Before Identity was leased.

My best Acquaintances are those
With Whom I spoke no Word -
The Stars that started come to Town
Esteemed by Me never rude
Although to their Celestial Call
I failed to make reply -
My constant - reverential Face
Sufficent Courtesy.

After a hundred years
Nobody knows the Place
Agony that enacted there
Motionless as Peace

Weeds triumphant ranged
Strangers strolled and spelled
At the lone Orthography
Of the Elder Dead

Winds of Summer Fields
Recollect the way -
Instinct picking up the Key
Dropped by memory -

Let me not mar that perfect Dream
By an Auroral stain
But so adjust my daily Night
That it will come again.

Not when we know, the Power accosts -
The garment of Surprise
Was all our timid Mother wore
At Home - in Paradise.