~~~~Poem A Day Emily Dickinson~~~ "There is a word" 8/1775

Version 1
There is a word
Which bears a sword
Can pierce an armed man -
It hurls it's barbed syllables
And is mute again -
But where it fell
The Saved will tell
On patriotic day,
Some epauletted Brother
Gave his breath away!

Wherever runs the breathless sun -
Wherever roams the day -
There is it's noiseless onset -
There is it's victory!
Behold the keenest marksman-
The most accomplished host!
Time's sublimest target
Is a soul "forgot"!

[edit] Version 2
There is a word
Which bears a sword
Can pierce an armed man -
It hurls it's barbed syllables
And is mute again -
But where it fell
The saved will tell
On patriotic day,
Some epauletted Brother
Gave his breath away.

Wherever runs the breathless sun -
Wherever roams the day -
There is it's noiseless onset -
There is it's victory!
Behold the keenest marsman!
The most accomplished host!
Time's sublimest target
Is a soul "forgot"!

Often I notice that Emily Dickinson writes at least two versions of her poems. There is often little or no noticeable change in the two versions. Usually the second version is a refinement of the first version. I usually like the first version first. It is like this; often when an idea is first brought to light; brought into the poetry circle of thinking and conveyance it is purer. Refinement often feels like too much embellishment that often does not "fit" correctly. As a poetry purist (or wannabe) I'd like the form and function to flow simultaneously, therefore, I often find this the case.
In this poem, "There is a word" I find that the second version may be the better version. There is a reason for this sudden "change of heart" for my inclination towards the second version of verse.I think the change of "marksman" to "marsman" is interesting but I find the exclusion of the Capitalization of "The Saved" perhaps too much allegory. It is "nice" that Miss Emily thought of this and also keeps the audience guessing with a new creative word "marsman" which is a creative "take" on Marksman which is "way" too obvious.
We all know the word which is "forgot". It is the last word of the end stanza and is vitally significant. I wonder why Emily always uses the first line of her poems as the title and now I am finding the end word is also vital to her poems. This gives a circular completion to her poems. I am not sure if there is an actual academic term for this; perhaps there should be!
This poem is very patriotic and oddly enough is iambic pentameter; or ABAB rhyming scheme, at first and then switches to Emily's own unique brand of cadence (see first poem for Emily Dickinson's unique literary techniques, etc. (also on Wikipedia under Emily Dickinson). I will not further elaborate on these complex schemes today, as the weather is very hot and humid and my brain is crashing. However, you can if you wish. It just seemed liked this poem was made in two separate offerings; one rhyming and one prose. Unusual. Like Emily's uniqueness and wholly, in my opinion; art and does "push the envelope" as per Victorian dictates as per the "expected" form of poetry. Emily is in this poem a bit of a maverick; independent, showing her "freedom" stripes.
Truly this poem is entirely patriotic with all the patriotic symbols etc.

"There is a word
Which bears a sword
Can pierce an armed man -
It hurls it's barbed syllables"*

These four sentences of the first stanza does prove to disclose Emily's insistence that there is "a word" which is wholly dangerous to man (what is it) is the immediate line of questioning from the audience/readership.

"And is mute again -
But where it fell
The Saved will tell
On patriotic day,
Some epauletted Brother
Gave his breath away!"*

This "word" becomes "mute" again once it "slew" the unsuspecting or "unsaved". Thus souls "forgot" or forgotten souls, the "unsaved" or those not baptised or born again John 3:16 Biblical reference. These poems in this first lot are in the 1890 area, although I am not sure as to the exact date, this I shall gleam later upon my further research. Remember this is a "discovery" and I am going through the poems one at a time without research on the various poems to get a fresh look at the poem before being "tainted" with additional information. I am hoping in this way I may discover anew aspects of Emily's poems which may have gone undiscovered. This is probably not possible, but you never know!

"Some epauletted Brother
Gave his breath away"*

Here, the soldier (Brother) died (gave his breath away). Was he saved? It did not matter how many stripes he wore on his "epauletted" shoulder, if the Brother were not saved he is not entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Here I think Emily is discussing her Christian/Puritan upbringing, even though she did not have a formal religion, she must have via osmosis, and I found out she did indeed go to various tent meetings during summer months. These were called Revival Meetings, often staying in various villages like Amherst in M.A. for a few weeks, and then moving on to the next town or village; the soul purpose of these meetings; to save souls for Christ. Emily must be in this soulful mode and I believe she is really quite "fired up" expelling the "fire and brimstone" type of speech often associated with Revival meetings during those Victorian times. Here the notion of being saved or not saved is critical and the "a word" would be a soul "forgot". Wholly unthinkable!

"Wherever runs the breathless sun -
Wherever roams the day -
There is it's noiseless onset -
There is it's victory!
Behold the keenest marsman!
The most accomplished host!
Time's sublimest target
Is a soul "forgot"!"*

In the first line of the last stanza, I am confounded at first at the word "breathless sun".
Could this be the "dead Christ"? The Saviour having to die for our sins to save the world from Original sin and to become "Victorious" once again?

Wherever the sun roams during the day there is "the sun's victory" or "the son's victory". I doubt Miss Emily is a sun-worshipper as that would be pagan; although, the Transcendentalists may have borrowed this imagery and incorporated Christian imagery into their spiritual dogma. This is yet to be discovered, as I am going to be reading more on the Transcendentalists later in my discovery aka research.I have, thus far, only sketchy notions as to Walt Whitman and all, American Transcendentalist movement. I do know it is a spiritual movement versus a religious one.

Now the "keenest marsman" sic marksman is the "host" or the Christ; saving souls. Time's most serious target is a "soul 'forgot'". So Time's (allegorically capitalized here) is the unsaved soul. Time saves souls and the Sun shoots it's soulful target "the light" to the unsaved soul before time runs out for the soul. Much Christian allegory here. An amazing poem and wholly loaded with patriotic analogies.

*all quotes of Emily Dickinson poems found here; www.wikisource.com under writers Emily Dickinson.

Chiccoreal's logb aka Jane Jones's take on the above poem

The Forgotten

Lay waste
Dead upon the ground
The Battler awaits
at the end of the day
as Time Claims
or Time Saves
The Sun Rises
Also
in this way
And then
suddenly
Falls Away
Here comes the Sun
Again
Triumphant
Victorious
For All time
Claims the Flesh
Claiming the Soul
The Essential Son
Never Sets
As We
All Fall Down
On Our Knees
In Glory
In Worship
In Honour
Of The Fallen
To Rise Above
The Fast Flesh
The Eternal Soul
Eventually
We Weep
At the Feet
Of the Beloved
Under the Heavenly Stars
Over Our Heads
The Throne
Claimed
Owned
and
Won
Heaven's Gate
Awaits Us
All Good Soldiers
Heavy The Metal
Epaulettes
Battle Weary
Come Home
To the Calm
All Soul Starved
The Feast
Has Just Begun

jj