Fascicle 16

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— Eyes eyes, And know no other way — . But were it told to me , Today, —Today— , to-day, That I might have the Sky sky For mine , — I tell you that my Heart heart Would 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 take noon as I could take Between 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 liked For mine to look at when I liked, — The news News would strike me dead — ! ! So safer—guess— So, safer, guess, with just my soul Upon the window pane Window pane— window-pane Where other Creatures creatures put their Eyes eyes— eyes, Incautious — of the Sun— sun.

Poem 2. (J 607: 1862/1929) Of nearness to her Sundered Things sundered Things sundered things The Soul has special times — , When Dimness — looks the Oddity— oddity, Oddity, Distinctness—easy—seems— Distinctness easy seems. The Shapes shapes we buried, dwell about, buried dwell about buried dwell about. Familiar , in the Rooms— rooms, Untarnished by the Sepulchre, sepulchre sepulcher The Our Mouldering Playmate comes— moldering playmate comes In just the Jacket that he wore— jacket that he wore, Long buttoned in the Mold mold, 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 Apparitions Bright knots of apparitions Salute 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 remained And 'twas they, and not ourself Till we rejoin them, And 'twas They, and not Ourselves Till we rejoin them, and 'twas They And't was They, and not Ourselves That mourned. And not Ourselves that mourned.

Poem 3 (J 279: 1861/1896) Tie the Strings strings to my Life, My life, my Lord, Then, I am ready to go! Then I am ready to go! Just a look at the Horses horses horses — 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 I never I mind the steepest Bridges steepest— bridges, And never I mind the Sea— And never I mind the sea; Held fast in Everlasting Race— everlasting race By 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 Hills And it's many a mile—Bridges Here's a keepsake for the Hills

Poem 11 (J 446: 1862/1914) He I showed me Hights her Hights her heights I she never saw— " Would'st Climb Would'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?" He I showed me her Secrets— secrets Morning's Nest— Morning's nest, The Rope the rope 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?" I She could not find my "Yes". her Yes— her yes— And then, He I 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 Agony agony , Because I know it's true — ; Men do not sham Convulsion convulsion , Nor simulate a Throe— , a Throe— a throe. ~~Death comes~~ The Eyes glaze once —and—that is Death— , and that is death. —and that is Death— Impossible to feign The Beads upon the Forehead The beads upon the forehead By homely Anguish anguish strung.

Poem 5 (J 280: 1861/1896) I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, funeral in my brain, And Mourners to and fro And mourners, to and fro, Kept treading—treading—till it seemed Kept treading, treading, till it seemed That Sense was breaking through— That sense was breaking through. And when they all were seated, A Service, like a Drum— A service like a drum Kept beating—beating— beating, beating, till I thought My Mind was going numb— My mind was going numb. And then I heard them lift a Box box, And creak across my And creak across my Soul soul With those same Boots of lead, again, boots of lead, again. Then Space—began to toll, Then space bagan to toll As 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 Race And 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 Cheek So 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 stand How noteless men and Pleiads stand Until a sudden sky Reveals the fact that One is rapt one is wrapt Forever from the Eye— eye. Members of the Invisible, Existing, while we stare, Existing while we stare In Leagueless Opportunity, In leagueless opportunity O'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, smile Sweep by our disappointed Heads Sweep by our disappointed heads, Sweep by our disappointed Heads, Without a syllable— But deign no syllable.

Poem 8 (J 242: 1861/1945) When we stand on the tops of Things— things And like the Trees, look down— trees look down, The smoke all cleared away from it— it And Mirrors on the scene— [sunset] on the scene Just laying light—no light, no soul will wink Except it have the flaw— flaw; The Sound ones, like the Hills sound ones like the hills —shall stand— —stand up— shall stand No Lightning, lightning scares away— drives away— drives away. The Perfect, nowhere be afraid— perfect nowhere be afraid, They bear their dauntless Heads, fearless—Heads, tranquil—Heads, tranquil heads When others, dare not others dare not go at Noon, walk at noon, go at noon, Protected by their deeds— deeds. The Stars stars dare shine occasionally Upon 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—held an 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— look When Richard went to mill— mill ; And then, then I wanted to get out, But something held my will. I thought just how Red—Apples wedged red apples wedged The Stubble's joints between— stubble's joints between ; And Carts went And carts went And the Carts stooping round the fields To take the Pumpkins in— in. I wondered which would miss me, least, me least, And when Thanksgiving, came, Thanksgiving came, If Father'd father'd multiply the plates— plates To make an even Sum— sum. And would it blur the Christmas glee And if my stocking hung too high, My Stocking hang too high Would it blur the Christmas glee, For any Santa Claus to reach That not a Santa Claus could reach The Altitude of me— altitude of me? But this sort, grieved myself, sort grieved myself, and so And so, I thought the other way, I thought how it would be How When 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 Porter porter of my Father's Lodge father's lodge As much abasheth me ! . Of Life? 'Twere odd I fear thing a thing [a] thing That comprehendeth me In one or two existences— more—existences more existences Just as the case may be— As Deity decree— At Deity's decree. Of Resurrection resurrection ? Is the East east Afraid to trust the Morn morn With her fastidious forehead? As soon impeach my Crown crown !