FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   >>  
ide, This, and my heart, and all the fields, And all the meadows wide. Be sure you count, should I forget, -- Some one the sum could tell, -- This, and my heart, and all the bees Which in the clover dwell. PREFACE. The intellectual activity of Emily Dickinson was so great that a large and characteristic choice is still possible among her literary material, and this third volume of her verses is put forth in response to the repeated wish of the admirers of her peculiar genius. Much of Emily Dickinson's prose was rhythmic, --even rhymed, though frequently not set apart in lines. Also many verses, written as such, were sent to friends in letters; these were published in 1894, in the volumes of her _Letters_. It has not been necessary, however, to include them in this Series, and all have been omitted, except three or four exceptionally strong ones, as "A Book," and "With Flowers." There is internal evidence that many of the poems were simply spontaneous flashes of insight, apparently unrelated to outward circumstance. Others, however, had an obvious personal origin; for example, the verses "I had a Guinea golden," which seem to have been sent to some friend travelling in Europe, as a dainty reminder of letter-writing delinquencies. The surroundings in which any of Emily Dickinson's verses are known to have been written usually serve to explain them clearly; but in general the present volume is full of thoughts needing no interpretation to those who apprehend this scintillating spirit. M. L. T. AMHERST, _October_, 1896. I. LIFE. I. REAL RICHES. 'T is little I could care for pearls Who own the ample sea; Or brooches, when the Emperor With rubies pelteth me; Or gold, who am the Prince of Mines; Or diamonds, when I see A diadem to fit a dome Continual crowning me. II. SUPERIORITY TO FATE. Superiority to fate Is difficult to learn. 'T is not conferred by any, But possible to earn A pittance at a time, Until, to her surprise, The soul with strict economy Subsists till Paradise. III. HOPE. Hope is a subtle glutton; He feeds upon the fair; And yet, inspected closely, What abstinence is there! His is the halcyon table That never seats but one, And whatsoever is consumed The same amounts remain. IV. FORBIDDEN FRUIT. I. Forbidden fru
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   >>  



Top keywords:

verses

 

Dickinson

 

volume

 

written

 

rubies

 

Emperor

 

brooches

 

diamonds

 

diadem

 

Prince


pelteth
 

interpretation

 

apprehend

 
scintillating
 
spirit
 
needing
 

general

 
present
 

thoughts

 

AMHERST


pearls

 

explain

 

October

 

Continual

 

RICHES

 

closely

 

abstinence

 

halcyon

 

inspected

 

glutton


FORBIDDEN
 
Forbidden
 
remain
 

amounts

 

whatsoever

 

consumed

 

subtle

 

difficult

 
conferred
 
SUPERIORITY

Superiority

 

pittance

 
Subsists
 

Paradise

 
economy
 

strict

 
surprise
 

crowning

 

obvious

 
admirers