Version 1
Morns like these - we parted
Noons like these - she rose!
Fluttering first - then firmer
To her fair repose -
Never did she lisp it
And 'twas not for me -
She was mute for transport
I, for agony!
Till the evening nearing
One the shutters drew -
Quick! a sharper rustling!
And this linnet flew!
[edit] Version 2
Morns like these - we parted.
Noons like these - she rose
Fluttering first - then firmer -
To her fair repose.
Never did she lisp it -
And 'twas not for me -
She was mute from transport -
I - from agony -
Till - the evening nearing -
One the Curtains drew -
Quick! A sharper rustling!
And this Linnet flew!
[edit] Version 3
Morns like these - we parted -
Noons like these - she rose -
Fluttering first - then firmer
To her fair repose.
Never did she lisp it -
It was not for me -
She - was mute from transport -
I - from agony -
Till - the evening nearing
One the curtains drew -
Quick! A sharper rustling!
And this linnet flew!
[edit] Version 4
Morns like these — we parted —
Noons like these — she rose —
Fluttering first — then firmer
To her fair repose.
Never did she lisp it —
It was not for me —
She — was mute from transport —
I — from agony —
Till — the evening nearing
One the curtains drew —
Quick! A Sharper rustling!
And this linnet flew!
by Emily Dickinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emily Dickinson has given a huge repository of four verses for "Morns like these - we parted". To me this poem is about Emily's mother who became bedridden as she aged and Emily and her sister Lucieta had to be the caregivers for their "Mom's" care.
This is a very touching poem because it is dealing with Emily relating not only to flowers, bees etc but actual human beings in all their complicated splendour. Emily is besides herself, and you can tell that she is trying to "philosophize" away the pain she feels with her mother's chronic ailment;
I do believe that Emily sees her Mom as a Linnet bird. As Emily searches for this bird she is trying to hear it's sound but it flew away "mute". (Was Emily's mother also mute? good question!). If Emily compares birds to people maybe we have unlocked an interesting development in a further understanding of her poetry.
As simple as this poem comes across, Emily's whole fatuation with bird-watching, I think it goes one step beyond; analogous to Emily relating on a personification-type way to "birds as persons of interest". Since Emily is relating to birds in this personification way anyway. Noted before the "Robin" standing in for her friendship to Sue Gilbert. Now we have a Linnet as Emily's mother.
"I, for agony!"
Maybe said sardonically, sarcastically, Emily is trying to convey how frustrating it is in her mother's "mute" or maybe dementia-like state found in the aging process and how difficult it is to communicate with her.
"Morns like these - we parted
Noons like these - she rose!
Fluttering first - then firmer
To her fair repose -
Never did she lisp it
And 'twas not for me -"
Did her mother rise at noon, or is this simply the bird (Linnet) that rose at noon. How many birds do you know that "rise" at noon? They are all very quiet at noon usually, the midday sun making them sophoric, most birds take a siesta at noon. Notice this; hardly any peeps from birds at noon. So of what is Emily describing her? Birds or her MOther who rises at noon because she is elderly and frail?
She was mute for transport
I, for agony!
Till the evening nearing
One the shutters drew -
Quick! a sharper rustling!
And this linnet flew!
The fact that the bird flew at the end of the verse is amazing, like once the bird is up she flies away, and is fine, but until that time, she is quiet.
Also reference to "shutters' gives away a Victorian decor, not necessary a bird's sanctuary in the woods.
And "this linnet flew", Emily describing her mother rising from her bed once noon has come and then a slight rustling and then up and about.
The fact that Emily wrote four versions of this poem is also amazing, and this is due to the fact it meant something to her, of perhaps, a greater significance than watching a bird at noon rustling in the trees. Although this poem could simply be about bird watching. Intuitively, I am getting the feeling this is about Emily's mother, and the Linnet is the way Emily sees people as birds. Is this theory for the "birds"? We'll find out as we investigate more of Emily's poems-a-day! It is fun to note all the rare birds and birds of the MA area listed in Emily's poems; quite an education re: the Natural World via Emily Dickinson's poems.
jj
"The Linnet, Carduelis cannabina, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
The Linnet derives its scientific name from its fondness for hemp and its English name from its liking for seeds of flax, from which linen is made."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linnet
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