~~A~POEM~A~DAY~~EMILY DICKINSON~~"A Day! Help! Help! Another Day!" 42/1775

A Day! Help! Help! Another Day!

A Day! Help! Help! Another Day!
Your prayers, oh Passer by!
From such a common ball as this
Might date a Victory!
From marshallings as simple
The flags of nations swang.
Steady — my soul: What issues
Upon thine arrow hang!

by Emily Dickinson

Fanatical fans of Emily, this poem is insightful and inciteful. I think I feel this poem is like a call to arms, a rallying cry of some sort, probably patriotic in all senses of the word. This poem expounds upon a cry, like a town crier; Hear Yea, Hear Yea! Yes, Emily, we hear you! What exactly do you mean? Lets deduce her epic cries.

"A Day! Help! Help! Another Day!" Emily is crying to the passerbys to pity her soul and she asks for another day to help her find her "Victory".

"From such a common ball as this" could be reference to cannon fodder. Emily feels that she is common and a ball at the same time. Double entendre, and satrical in that she is referencing war imagery. Could it be the War of 1812 or the Civil War Emily is referring? Well I would think the War of 1812 where there was much more extensive use of "arrow"s.

The War of Independence 1776 time frame as Emily is mentioning "The flags of nations swang". It is past tense "swang" and the Civil War did happen during Emily's lifetime so I think she is definitely referencing this "nations" as the War of 1812 between the British and the Colonist's; the early Americans.

Emily has her own "issues" regarding this war.

Steady — my soul: What issues
Upon thine arrow hang!

The banner of flags and the banner of issues that the war brought about, the political angst of feeling attachment yet separation to either party during war. The confused state of allegiance to state or state of the soul. These ideas weigh heavy on Emily's heart, and so this is a song of woe, a poem pondering the religious question; what comes first; church or state, soul or political sway. The sway clearly demonstrated in the waving or waivering flag.

Chiccoreal Capture the Captive Questions of Miss Emily's Quandries Quarantined no Guarantee, but here's at go at 'er!


Which way will she go?
Emily's not lost
She's dated Victory!
She has already gone with him
gone around with him
dated for quite a while
Victory lovers
left Emily cold
and ponderous
poetry meanders
like a stream
hoping to find the river
that will lead back to the
Ocean...Emily's far shore!
the way of the waiver; the flag
light in the loafers
Waving goodbye
or come again!
The flap's over that
Tossed like a flapjack
by lumberjacks
on the homefire's hearth
stoking and kindling
The Spirit of Romance
A Mighty force recog'n
as state battles against state of mind
and all those sacred places
of soul
and the sanctity of that, in that and by that
Buy that?
What?
Some other's version of Victory?
Say what?
Emily did questioned as once
wedded to or at least did
had a steady
Emily Dated Victory!
Is Victory Dated
In Victorian times
Held so High?

Help! Help! Another Day!
Emily Calm down
Ask yourself once suppine
Have you finally made up your mind
Which side you lay your head?
The Soul side of the bed
is usually
the South side
nitty gritty
the sunny side
smiles
Emily's side
of the Street!
Choose wisely Fellow Harkened thus
By Emily says
Go for The Soul
AbSOULutely must!

jj