Welcome to April and to National Poetry Month! I'm looking forward to all the celebrating. The Progressive Poem has begun today, and you can see the first line here.
I posted this Emily Dickinson poem on the first of April in 2011, in the wake of the earthquake in Japan, noting that in spite of the destruction there, the cherry trees were in bloom as usual. "Nicodemus' mystery" at the end of the poem refers to the man who came to Jesus at night and asked how people could be born again. Spring is an illustration every year of rebirth. Here in the tropics, where I live, the rebirth isn't necessarily as dramatic, since we don't have a real winter, but there are little evidences of nature's cycles all around. Just outside my classroom window, the mahogany tree has all new spring-green leaves.
In my own life, I've been very aware of endings lately, and I'm looking forward to some new beginnings that must be just around the corner. I don't see them yet, but I believe in resurrection, and springtime, and "Fern-odors on untravelled roads."
April
Emily Dickinson
An altered look about the hills;
A Tyrian light the village fills;
A wider sunrise in the dawn;
A deeper twilight on the lawn;
A print of a vermilion foot;
A purple finger on the slope;
A flippant fly upon the pane;
A spider at his trade again;
An added strut in chanticleer;
An axe shrill singing in the woods;
Fern-odors on untravelled roads, -
All this, and more I cannot tell,
A furtive look you know as well,
And Nicodemus' mystery
Receives its annual reply.
Today's roundup is at The Poem Farm, where we're invited to wallow in wonder this month! Yes, please!
6 comments:
A beautiful poem. One I had not read before. Wishing you buds opening, many shades of green, and the chirps of baby birds.
This is a beautiful poem. Thanks for introducing me to it!
I'm in love with more light! This:
"A wider sunrise in the dawn;
A deeper twilight on the lawn;"
So enjoy Dickinson's list of things that remind her spring is here (some that sound quaint to our ears--like "chanticleer" and the "axe shrill singing in the wood"). One I could add is motorcycles revving up. Our neighbors here are giving their riding leathers a real workout!
This reads like a list poem, with Emily Dickinson's dash and flare of course. The language in it is wonderful.
Lovely!
I wish you many new beautiful beginnings. They are there, and I hope they poke their noses out soon.
Happy Poetry Month!
xo
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