Friday, December 23, 2011

Dickinson's magic, or logic?

Emily Dickinson (1830–86).  Complete Poems.  1924.

Part One: Life

Epigram

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        5
  To hands I cannot see;
For love of her, sweet countrymen,
  Judge tenderly of me!   
I have enjoyed reading Emily Dickinson ever since she was taught to me in college by my brilliant and accomplished professor Shantha. But this particular poems seem to make greater sense to me now than ever before. Now that's difficult to come to terms with. I am a show off , blogging, face booking and speaking out without restraint to all whom I could bully into listening....trying to put most of my thoughts into words and sharing them with my daughters, students, colleagues and close friends (and not so close friends too at times). Now why would I feel that the above given words are relevant?
It is possible that  assuming the role of wife in a joint family and a mother in a conservative community and city have forced me to lead a double life of sorts. The way I presented myself to the world outside and conducted myself were, at least in parts, influenced by the strong traditions of the place I live in and my home.I may have done many of the important things that I wanted to, in spite of  the constraints of my situation, and failed in some and have kept some projects for tomorrow, but in many small ways , I probably just conformed and to that extent withheld my message to the world. The world has of course reached to me. How else would i be jotting this down for the whole universe to see?
There are of course, the charming twists and turns that create the music of these lyrics. And from this poem we know that although Dickinson never wrote to the world, she wondered if they would judge her harshly...If only she had, she would have known how people of all climates and colors love her verse and celebrate them.

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