Delayed till in its vest of snow
Her loving bosom lay —
An hour behind the fleeting breath —
Later by just an hour than Death —
Oh lagging Yesterday!
Could she have guessed that it would be —
Could but a crier of the joy
Have climbed the distant hill —
Had not the bliss so slow a pace
Who knows but this surrendered face
Were undefeated still?
Oh if there may departing be
Any forgot by Victory
In her imperial round —
Show them this meek appareled thing
That could not stop to be a king —
Doubtful if it be crowned!pan>
Her loving bosom lay —
An hour behind the fleeting breath —
Later by just an hour than Death —
Oh lagging Yesterday!
Could she have guessed that it would be —
Could but a crier of the joy
Have climbed the distant hill —
Had not the bliss so slow a pace
Who knows but this surrendered face
Were undefeated still?
Oh if there may departing be
Any forgot by Victory
In her imperial round —
Show them this meek appareled thing
That could not stop to be a king —
Doubtful if it be crowned!pan>
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Delayed_till_she_had_ceased_to_know_%E2%80%94
Yesterday "lags" and is "delayed" "an hour behind the fleeting breath" "by just an hour".
How similar is "Yesterday" to a train that is late at the station?
This poem does have the cadence of a train pulling into a station
As it is Emily's station in life to have the focus always on death, in allegory, metaphor, etc. Emily realizes that yesterday is late, is dead, as dead as death.
Dead yesterday is where death meets such a late train of memory thoughts. Very surreal in a way, sort of like a DiChirrico painting.
Memories lie in the past not future bound; "her loving bosom lay".
The past is mother, loving, kind, present.
Is the future for Emily Death although the notion of late is reiterated twice in the first stanza late by an hour;
"An hour behind"
"Later by just an hour"
In the next stanza Emily is questioning whether or not she would have guessed that Death would be late;
"Could she have guessed that it would be - "
This is a complicated poem, and is remarkable in that it is highly considerate of imagery.
The allegorical "Yesterday" is termed a "she".
"Yesterday would be happy, blissful knowing the joy after Death who is late has come and gone.
The crier on the hill is a brilliant bit of imagery.
is very easy to envision this New England staple of the day, the town crier, the teller of the news of the day. That death is late.
The state of euphoria, or bliss found on the face of the crier adds another degree of mystic quality to the poem.
"Had not the bliss so slow a pace
Who knows but this surrendered face
Were undefeated still?"
The bliss of "Yesterday" is unconditional love leading to such surrender.
The next stanza is very complicated allegorically speaking.
"Any forgot by Victory
In her imperial round —"
What is an "imperial round"? I have found out that this is a reference to radiators. So in the belly of "Victory" or Mother Earth; Gaia.
"Show them this meek appareled thing"
What is Emily referring to in regards to "meek appareled thing"?
After consideration, I would think Emily is referring to us, as the body of the human condition, a unified soul trapped in a decaying "mound" of a body, clothed in "meek"ness; hopefully. The Victory being how the soul conquers death with eternal and infinite love.
"That could not stop to be a king —"
"meekness" not being a trait of "a king" and the quality of meekness "not to stop a king" refers to how we are just passing by on this transient plane of existence.
"Doubtful if it be crowned!"
In death comes the "crowned" glory of Victory over death, but we just do not realize this until that final hour that is late by an hour!
1 Corinthians 15:55
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
I find this a very indepth poem, which may have to reposted due to lack of my understanding of the mentioned allegory alluding to specific events, etc of Emily's time. Any further information would be most appreciated!
Chiccoreal Expresses Mystic Presence
She's Late
Oh Victory!
Where is thy Crown?
Lost in the past of yesterday
Who'd care but for the one thing
That would see you through
until the last day
and the final hour
catches up with the first
No hour late now
the Victory Woman awaits
don't be late
feel the crown on your crown
you feel you do not deserve
but you do
the esctasy and the bliss
the sweet surrender is heavenly!
Yours now this Victory giv'n
and the Glory all around!
This Crown of Eternal Life
Yours to Enjoy!
jj
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