A great Hope fell
You heard no noise
The Ruin was within
Oh cunning wreck that told no tale
And let no Witness in
The mind was built for mighty Freight
For dread occasion planned
How often foundering at Sea
Ostensibly, on Land
A not admitting of the wound
Until it grew so wide
That all my Life had entered it
And there were troughs beside
A closing of the simple lid
That opened to the sun
Until the tender Carpenter
Perpetual nail it down -
........most mysterious, and I agree Eric, she hasn't given us enough clues ★
A beautifully conceived intriguing yet great poem composed by equally great poetess inflicted with great pain and distress. Thanks for sharing.
How one's heart suffers when a strong hope for something fails and again hoping for a bright life from that dark till the end....only Emily can express so beautifully like this...her choice of words and the way she has strung them is superb-10
Emily Dickinson had a vast treasure trove of wisdom to dip into when writing, this is but one example but it shines, doesn't it? - - - - - - -] A not admitting of the wound Until it grew so wide That all my Life had entered it
Beautiful poem. The ruin was within......closing comes in acceptance......the master carpenter provides us all with a lid.....
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
She leaves us to wonder what her great hope was. Did it have to do with a cure for 'falling sickness' (epilepsy) that kept her hidden away? Or did she hope for love? Or maybe someone who would publish her poetry with out modifying it. We are not to know.