Quote:
Originally Posted by Jane Crowson
how often they used the word 'moth'
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Somewhat relevant: I used the word "March" when I searched for this poem in Amherst's online archive, and retrieved several other poems that mention March (which probably inspired Tim's original post).
Here's another March poem (
F1320A). It has "purple" in it, too. The slope behind my house is currently carpeted with the American Southwest's ubiquitous invasive purple filaree (a weed that Dickinson probably didn't know).
Just for my own amusement, I'm going to take the liberty of editing it into quatrains, and getting rid of "and" in S4L1. The Amherst archive doesn't have an image of ED's manuscript, just Todd's "fair copy," so I don't know how ED actually wrote it, but I don't see any reason to depart from her usual ballad stanza presentation in this one.
Dear March - Come in - How glad I am -
I hoped for you before -
Put down your Hat - You must have walked -
How out of Breath you are -
Dear March, how are you, and the Rest -
Did you leave Nature well -
Oh March, Come right upstairs with me -
I have so much to tell -
I got your Letter, and the Birds -
The Maples never knew
That you were coming - I declare -
How Red their Faces grew -
But March, forgive me - All those Hills
You left for me to Hue -
There was no Purple suitable -
You took it all with you -
Who knocks? That April - Lock the Door -
I will not be pursued -
He stayed away a Year to call
When I am occupied -
But trifles look so trivial
As soon as you have come
That blame is just as dear as Praise
And Praise as mere as Blame -
If people want to see it the way it's usually lineated, here's a
link.