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Emily Dickinson (10 December 1830 – 15 May 1886 / Amherst / Massachusetts)
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"Arcturus" is his other name
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"Arcturus" is his other name—
I'd rather call him "Star."
It's very mean of Science
To go and interfere!
I slew a worm the other day—
A "Savant" passing by
Murmured "Resurgam"—"Centipede"!
"Oh Lord—how frail are we"!
I pull a flower from the woods—
A monster with a glass
Computes the stamens in a breath—
And has her in a "class"!
Whereas I took the Butterfly
Aforetime in my hat—
He sits erect in "Cabinets"—
The Clover bells forgot.
What once was "Heaven"
Is "Zenith" now—
Where I proposed to go
When Time's brief masquerade was done
Is mapped and charted too.
What if the poles should frisk about
And stand upon their heads!
I hope I'm ready for "the worst"—
Whatever prank betides!
Perhaps the "Kingdom of Heaven's" changed—
I hope the "Children" there Won't be "new fashioned" when I come—
And laugh at me—and stare—
I hope the Father in the skies
Will lift his little girl—
Old fashioned—naught—everything—
Over the stile of "Pearl."
Read poems about / on: butterfly, hope, heaven, flower, girl, star, father, children, change, child, sky
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I don't think this is one of her better poems, simply because you don't have to work very much to understand it. Images and metaphors are obvious,
the last few lines are so darkly comedic, a great poem
a beautiful poem... you are the one true poetess...we all should aspire to be more like... :)
She is wrong about Heaven being charted. If Heaven is anywhere it is beyond science to chart. If science is at odds with religion where does it come from - the Devil? Is discovery God's work or Satan's. I think the last two verses are a bit twee.
In the battle between - carrying on the tradition of Religion and the existence of God and embracing Agnostic theology as scientific discoveries, which in her thoughts failed neither to prove nor disprove his existence. I could've swore this poem was written yesterday, what an amazing piece. Pardon my modest comment I am just an infant to poetry
And I think that she was not totally convinced about an existence of god! Zenith gave this away! But still was hedging her bets as science cannot disprove nor prove it!
I see this a a timeless piece, that could have been written today. Pearl means pearly gates? She has studied gods good earth and oh the life she has sacrificed to understand it. She is not old fashioned but inquisitive. Kids of our age are often too wrapped up in technology to notice or care for it! This his how this has stood as timeless for me!
I respect this great writer and i am thankful to get a membership at poem hunter to look at these all poems which give me true confidence
Scientific matter expressed in poetry is not so interesting usually! But this poem is an exception in this regard!
Always interesting to read her poems and try to understand the mysterious, solitairy life that was. She expressed so much on paper studying the outside
world from her window of imagination. Of course she wasn't always behind that glass... anyway u rock ED