Emily Dickinson Returns~~!!!"Sown in dishonor"! #62

A 1631 painting by Pietro Cortona.Ananias of Damascus restores the sight of Saint Paul.
"Sown in dishonor"! by Emily Dickinson

"Sown in dishonor"!
Ah! Indeed!
May this "dishonor" be?
If I were half so fine myself
I'd notice nobody!

"Sown in corruption"!
Not so fast!
Apostle is askew!
Corinthians 1. 15. narrates
A Circumstance or two!

Emily is being, in my opinion, somewhat sardonic and sarcastic for a good reason. She feels St Paul is biased against Baptizing. And in Emily's mind Baptism is extremely important.

It is her tone in this brief blurb of a poem which indicates Emily's true feelings regarding this passage of the Bible.

In regards to a Biblical quote Emily indeed has a definite, if not, contraversial opinion. In referencing Corinthians 1:15 directly in the last stanza of her poem, Emily clearly states a brashness (in those days her even questioning the Bible would be considered much more than brash and Emily if she voiced this would have become somewhat of a priah). Thus, her stark wording in her poem "Sown in dishonor"! Emily hit the nail on the head, and I am sure this was somewhat of an emotional release for Ms Em.

In particular Emily states "Apostle is askew" speaking of St. Paul (who wrote Corinthians). What exactly does Emily mean? It took me a google to the Bible quote today! And I am reading through the entire Corinithian section to fully understand Emily's raised ir.

I am thinking that Emily is quite upset at Paul being happy that he did not baptize any of the so called "sinners" other than the two sainted men called "Crispus and Gaius".

Emily does not like the fact that St and Apostle Paul feels that he did not come to baptize the community of believers, rather, that he came to spread the Gospel of Christ;

Cor 1:14 "I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius".


"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect." Cor 1:17

As Paul was of the belief, or thought that his mission from Christ the Power and Wisdom of God was only to spread the word, and not to Baptize.(what did Paul think of John the Baptist? One would have to wonder about the exact reasons as to why St Paul felt this way).

Emily does believe any of it, and in my opinion, especially that Baptism is essential to Christiandom and that St Paul is incorrect by not placing Baptism as an absolute priority of his Godly mission.

"Not so fast!
Apostle is askew!
Corinthians 1. 15. narrates
A Circumstance or two!"

Maybe Emily was aware of, or was a member of the Baptist community in Amherst M.A. as Baptism does play a pivotal role in this religious sect of Christianity. I'd have to ask if this is in fact the case, or if Emily had other friends or family who was sharing the Baptist philosophy with Emily. As well as Anabaptist philosophy in the community of Amherst M.A. during Emily's time.

Contraversy! Never to see the light of day. I wonder if Emily could have discussed these issues at the local quilting club meetings with the ladies. What did the ladies discuss? Could Emily only write such things in her personal poem/diaries?
Points to ponder!

An brief aside from Chiccoreal: re Emily's motivations as per her undisclosed and unpublished in her lifetime poems;

Ahhh!!! A biblical poem today! And it is showing a bit of the Emilian sardonic sarcasm in a refreshingly modern way! (who were suppose to read these "hidden" poems anyway, kept as a diary of emotions or feelings never to see the light of day whilst Emily were alive!). Lest now she rests knowing her release meant the release of such artful poems of a socio-political-literary turn. Indeed Emily's turn to be the spirit of conscious finally! Was it really that stuffy and limiting as per women who'd like to say things in the open but could not. Wonders what Em would think about blogging and the internet in general? Did she foresee the day of true free speech? Never to fear now!

http://kj2000.scripturetext.com/1_corinthians/1.htmhttp://en.wikisource.org/wiki/%22Sown_in_dishonor%22!