Fascicle 16Emily DickinsonBrooke LawrenceAlexander MielnickiNicole LottigBrooke StewartnewtFire.org: a home for digital humanities projects at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing CenterUniversity of Pittsburgh at Greensburg
Fascicle 16: Dickinson's variants and published versions.
This born-digital XML project was repurposed and corrected with permission from Michele Ierardi's source files
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ORIGINAL POEMSEmily Dickinson'var0' is the first variant text/line listed in Dickinson's manuscript.'var1' is the second variant text/line listed in Dickinson's manuscript.'var2' is the third variant text/line listed in Dickinson's manuscript.Poems, First SeriesEmily DickinsonMabel loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth HigginsonBostonRoberts Brothers1890oems by Emily Dickinson, First Series (html version)Poems, Second SeriesEmily DickinsonThomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis ToddBostonRoberts Brothers1891Poems by Emily Dickinson, Second Series (html version)Poems, Third SeriesEmily DickinsonMabel Loomis ToddBostonLittle, Brown and Company1896Hathi Trust Digital LibraryThe Poems of Emily Dickinson: Centenary EditionEmily DickinsonMartha Dickinson Bianchi and Alfred Leete HampsonBostonLittle, Brown and Company1930Final Harvest: Emily Dickinson's PoemsEmily DickinsonThomas H. JohnsonBostonLittle, Brown and Company1961Further PoemsEmily DickinsonMartha Dickinson BianchiBostonLittle, Brown and Company1929Atlantic MonthlyEnily DickinsonFebruary 1929Bolts of Melody: New Poems of Emily DickinsonEmily DickinsonMabel Loomis Todd and Millicent Todd BinghamNew YorkHarper and Brothers1945LETTER TO SISTER-IN-LAWEmily Dickinson
Poem 1 (J 327: 1862/1891)Before I got my eye put out—,I liked as well to see—As other Creatures,creatures that have Eyes—Eyeseyes,And know no other way—.But were it told to me, Today,—Today—, to-day,That I might have the SkyskyFor mine,— I tell you that my HeartheartWould split, for size of me—.The Meadows—mine—The meadows mine, the mountains mine,—The Mountains—mine—All Forests—Stintless Stars—All forests, stintless stars,As much of noon, as I could take—Noon as I could takenoon as I could takeBetween my finite Eyes—eyes—eyes.The Motions of the Dipping Birds—The motions of the dipping birds,The Lightning's jointed Road—lightning's jointed road,Morning's Amber Road—For mine—to look at when I likedFor mine to look at when I liked,—The newsNews would strike me dead—! !So safer—guess—So, safer, guess, with just my soulUpon the window paneWindow pane—window-paneWhere other Creaturescreatures put their Eyeseyes—eyes,Incautious—of the Sun—sun.
Poem 2. (J 607: 1862/1929)Of nearness to her Sundered Thingssundered Thingssundered thingsThe Soul has special times—,When Dimness—looks the Oddity—oddity,Oddity,Distinctness—easy—seems—Distinctness easy seems.The Shapesshapes we buried, dwell about,buried dwell aboutburied dwell about.Familiar, in the Rooms—rooms,Untarnished by the Sepulchre,sepulchresepulcherTheOurMouldering Playmate comes—moldering playmate comesIn just the Jacket that he wore—jacket that he wore,Long buttoned in the Moldmold,Since we—old mornings, Children—played—Since we, old mornings, children played,Divided—by a world—Divided by a world.The Grave yields back her Robberies—The grave yields back her robberies,The Years, our pilfered Things—The years are pilfered things,Bright Knots of ApparitionsBright knots of apparitionsSalute us, with their wings—As we—it were—that perished—As we it were that perished,Themself—had just remained till we rejoin them—Themselves had just remainedAnd 'twas they, and not ourselfTill we rejoin them,And 'twas They, and not OurselvesTill we rejoin them, and 'twas TheyAnd't was They, and not OurselvesThat mourned.And not Ourselves that mourned.
Poem 3 (J 279: 1861/1896)Tie the Stringsstrings to my Life, Mylife, my Lord, Then, I am ready to go!Then I am ready to go!Just a look at the Horseshorseshorses—Rapid! That will do!Put me in on the firmest tightest highest—side—side,So I shall never fall—So I shall never fall;For we must ride to the Judgment—,And it's partly, down Hill—And it's many a mile—the Hills—And it's partly down hill.But never Inever I mind the steepestBridgessteepest—bridges,And never I mind the Sea—And never I mind the sea;Held fast in Everlasting Race—everlasting raceBy my own Choice, and Thee—By my own choice and thee.Goodbye to the Life I used to live—Good-by to the life I used to live,And the World I used to know—And the world I used to know;And kiss the Hills, for me, just once—And kiss the hills for me, just once;Then—Now I am ready to go!And it's many a mile—the HillsAnd it's many a mile—BridgesHere's a keepsake for the Hills
Poem 11 (J 446: 1862/1914)HeI showed me Hights her Hights her heightsIshe never saw—"Would'st ClimbWould'st Climb,Wouldst climb?" —He said?I said?I said,I said,She said—She said "Not so"—"With me—me—me?" He said—I said—I said,"With me"?With me?"With me?"HeI showed meherSecrets—secretsMorning's Nest—Morning's nest,TheRope therope that Nights were put across—"And now, Would'st have me for a Guest"?"And now—"Would'st have me for a Guest"?And now, "Wouldst have me for a Guest?"IShe could not find my "Yes".her Yes—her yes—And then, HeI brake His Life—And lo,my life—And Lo,my life, and Lo!A light for me,Light, for her,light for her, did solemn glow—,The steadier, as my face withdrew—The larger, as her face withdrew—And could I further "No"?could she, futher, "No"?could she, further, "No?"
Poem 4 (J 241: 1861/1890)I like a look of Agonyagony,Because I know it's true—;Men do not sham Convulsionconvulsion,Nor simulate a Throe—, a Throe— a throe.Death comesThe Eyes glaze once—and—that is Death—, and that is death.—and that is Death—Impossible to feignThe Beads upon the ForeheadThe beads upon the foreheadBy homely Anguishanguish strung.
Poem 5 (J 280: 1861/1896)I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,funeral in my brain,And Mourners to and froAnd mourners, to and fro,Kept treading—treading—till it seemedKept treading, treading, till it seemedThat Sense was breaking through—That sense was breaking through.And when they all were seated,A Service, like a Drum—A service like a drumKept beating—beating—beating, beating,till I thoughtMy Mind was going numb—My mind was going numb.And then I heard them lift a Boxbox,And creak across myAnd creak across my Soul soulWith those same Boots of lead, again,boots of lead, again.Then Space—began to toll,Then space bagan to tollAs all the Heavens were a Bell,heavens were a bell,And Being, but an Ear,And Being but an ear,And I, and Silence, some strange RaceAnd I and silence some strange race,Wrecked, solitary, here—Wrecked, solitary, here.And then a Plank in Reason, broke, And I dropped down, and down—And hit a World, at every plunge,Crash—And
Finished Got through—knowing—then—
Poem 6 (J 281: 1861/1935)'Tis so appalling—it exhilarates—So over Horror,
it half Captivates—it dumb fascinates—The Soul stares after it, secure—To know the worst, leaves no dread more—A Sepulchre, fears frost, no more—To scan a Ghost, is faint—But grappling, Conquers it—But grappling, conquers it—How Easy Torment, now—How easy, Torment, now—Suspense kept sawing so—The Truth, is Bald, and Cold—But that will hold—If any are not sure—We show them—prayer—But we, who know,Stop hoping, now—Looking at Death, is Dying—Just let go the Breath—And not the pillow at your CheekSo Slumbereth—Others, Can wrestle—Yours, is done—And so of Woe, bleak dreaded—come,It sets the Fright at liberty—And Terror's free—Gay, Ghastly, Holiday!
Poem 7. (J 282: 1861/1929)How noteless Men, and Pleiads, stand,How noteless men and Pleiads standHow noteless men andPleiads standUntil a sudden skyReveals the fact that One is raptone is wraptForever from the Eye—eye.Members of the Invisible,Existing, while we stare,Existing while we stareIn Leagueless Opportunity,In leagueless opportunityO'ertakeless, as the Air—O'er-take-less as the air.Why didn't we detain Them?retain Them?detain it?detain them?The Heavens with a smile,smileSweep by our disappointed HeadsSweep by our disappointed heads,Sweep by our disappointedHeads,Without a syllable—But deign no syllable.
Poem 8 (J 242: 1861/1945)When we stand on the tops of Things—thingsAnd like the Trees, look down—trees look down,The smoke all cleared away from it—itAnd Mirrors on the scene—[sunset] on the sceneJust laying light—nolight, no soul will winkExcept it have the flaw—flaw;The Sound ones, like the Hillssound ones like the hills—shall stand——stand up—shall standNo Lightning, lightning scares away—drives away—drives away.The Perfect, nowhere be afraid—perfect nowhere be afraid,They bear theirdauntless Heads,fearless—Heads,tranquil—Heads,tranquil headsWhen others, dare not others dare not go at Noon,walk at noon,go at noon,Protected by their deeds—deeds.The Starsstars dare shine occasionallyUpon a spotted World—world,And Suns, go surer, for their Proof,And suns go surer for their proof,As if An Axle, held—A Muscle—heldan axle held.
Poem 9 (J 445: 1862/1896)'Twas just this time, last year, I died.time last year I died. I know I heard the Corn,corn,When I was carried by the Farms—farms,—It had the Tassels on—tassels on.I thought how yellow it would look—lookWhen Richard went to mill—mill ;And then,then I wanted to get out,But something held my will.I thought just how Red—Apples wedgedred apples wedgedThe Stubble's joints between—stubble's joints between ;And Carts wentAnd carts wentAnd the Carts stooping round the fieldsTo take the Pumpkins in—in.I wondered which would miss me, least,me least,And when Thanksgiving, came,Thanksgiving came,If Father'dfather'd multiply the plates—platesTo make an even Sum—sum.And would it blur the Christmas gleeAnd if my stocking hung too high,My Stocking hang too highWould it blur the Christmas glee,For any Santa Claus to reachThat not a Santa Claus could reachThe Altitude of me—altitude of me?But this sort, grieved myself,sort grieved myself, and soAnd so, I thought the other way,I thought how it would beHowWhen just this time, some perfect year—year,Themself,Themselves should come to me—me.
Poem 10 (J 608: 1862/1890)Afraid!Afraid? Of whom am I afraid?Not Death—for who is He?death; for who is he?The Porterporter of my Father's Lodgefather's lodgeAs much abasheth me!.Of Life? 'Twere odd I fear thinga thing[a] thingThat comprehendeth meIn one or two existences—more—existencesmore existencesJust as the case may be—As Deity decree—At Deity's decree.Of Resurrectionresurrection? Is the EasteastAfraid to trust the MornmornWith her fastidious forehead?As soon impeach my Crowncrown!