~~Emily Dickinson~~Poem-A-Day~~"Nobody knows this little Rose" 35/1775

Nobody knows this little Rose — by Emily Dickinson

Version 1
Nobody knows this little rose;
It might a pilgrim be,
Did I not take it from the ways,
And lift it up to thee!

Only a bee will miss it;
Only a butterfly,
Hastening from far journey,
On it's breast to lie.

Only a bird will wonder;
Only a breeze will sigh;
Ah! little rose, how easy
For such as thee to die!

[edit] Version 2
Nobody knows this little Rose —
It might a pilgrim be
Did I not take it from the ways
And lift it up to thee.
Only a Bee will miss it —
Only a Butterfly,
Hastening from far journey —
On its breast to lie —
Only a Bird will wonder —
Only a Breeze will sigh —
Ah Little Rose — how easy
For such as thee to die!

[edit] Version 3
Nobody knows this little Rose.
It might a pilgrim be
Did I not take it from the ways
And lift it up to Thee. -
Only a Bee will miss it -
Only a Butterfly,
Hastening from far journey
On it's breast - to lie -
Only a Bird - will wonder -
Only a Breeze will sigh,
Ah, little Rose!
How Easy, for such as thee, to die!

Dear Fans of Emily! This is a fairly straightforward poem with basic reference to a small rose. The rose represents either a "rose" or the symbolic "rose" as reference to spiritual attainment. To me the rose represents Emily as a "pilgrim" in Massachusetts.

Emily being ever the naturalist is looking at the entire cylce of life here. The rose represent life "unplucked" from the bush. However, once plucked the rose dies.
"How Easy, for such as thee, to die". It is Emily's usual mode of creating a friend from the rose, since in her loneliness, she tends to give inanimate objects a human personified touch. Emily really sees the whole life-cycle of this little rose, and feels empathy towards the flower's plight. The rose, so beautiful, is hardly noticed in the massive world and scheme of things. Emily feels the rose will not be noticed by butterflies or bees when it is no longer.

When I read this poem I sense a very frilly embroidered lace with bees and butterflies and plucked rose. The rose being very fragile only lasting a few days when taken from the bush. So everything in life must die. Emily is reiterating this fact as if she has to convince herself as to the fragility of all life. As if her life is in fact very fragile and temporal.

Emily too senses she, like the young rose bloom will die without notice, without her life meaning a thing. Maybe she felt this way when her poems were rejected earlier in her poetry career. Maybe someone close to her is dying, or Emily is feeling alone in her belief system; perhaps not relating as well to others as she should? Difficult to say for sure, and whether or not any diary could verify this. And Emily is pondering all of life's mysteries while gathering this rose. For whom is this rose for, one of her friends she tries to bribe with poetry and nose gay? Certainly it would depend upon when this poem was written and if we can, in fact, place this poem's sympathetic and empathetic tone to any one event in Emily's life at the particular time when this poem was written. Subtle and sweet poem, Miss Emily! Oh I'd love to know what mystery this poem did reveal to you and what exactly was happening in your life when you wrote it! Secrets are always held close to the heart it seems; a beau? Will we ever know?

Chiccoreal's Take on the poem "Nobody knows the little rose"

Nobody Knows this little Emily
If I were not to chance upon
Her poetry on the pilgrim's web
lift up this life it shall remain in me

Only a bee will miss it ~maybe~
Only a butterfly poet who has crossed
On a Journey bound to the stars

As on it's side it slide
teetered atop books
Only a bird may wonder then wander ~maybe~
Only a breeze may sigh then resigned ~maybe~
Oh little rose
For thee is all there is to be or not to be
"A Rose By Any other name would smell as sweet" Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
"A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose" Gertrude Stein

jj