January 10, 2011
Winter Afternoons
There’s a certain Slant of light
There’s a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons –
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes –
Heavenly Hurt, it gives us –
We can find no scar,
But internal difference,
Where the Meanings, are –
None may teach it – Any –
‘Tis the Seal Despair –
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the air –
When it comes, the Landscape listens –
Shadows – hold their breath –
When it goes, ’tis like the Distance
On the look of Death –
by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson
Gracious Living - Day by Day 
Nena said,
January 12, 2011 at 12:11 am
gracias
Liliana said,
January 12, 2011 at 8:11 am
prego
Jelena said,
January 12, 2011 at 9:01 am
Hi, you two multilinguists.
Thank you for posting this–it’s one of my very favorite poems. No one can touch Emily DIckinson for being playful and serious at the same time, or for her quirky, gorgeous language.
Liliana said,
January 12, 2011 at 9:17 am
Thanks for saying that, Jelena.
I have gotten some interesting comments on this posting – people think it’s too dark and depressing. I know that there are dark shadows in Emily Dickinson’s poetry, but that is part of her style and beauty.
I don’t want to shy away from shadows.
Jelena said,
January 13, 2011 at 9:30 am
Well, it IS dark in some ways, but also gorgeous in its language, rhythms, and imagery. Dickinson is not a “nicey nice” poet, but that’s one of the reasons that I Iove her poetry. There’s an unresolved tensionin her work: she’s always mindful of death and human inadequacy, but she also celebrates the present, the gift of nature, and genuine emotion..
Liliana said,
January 13, 2011 at 9:32 am
I couldn’t agree more.
Lillian said,
January 17, 2011 at 9:39 am
The first line of this poem by Emily Dickinson is so deeply embedded in my
mind…you can’t tell anything about the meaning or mood of the poem from just this line. I hadn’t recalled
the rest of it, but thought it was a poem of pleasant nostalgia. When I read it here I was so surprised at its darkness.
I say those lines aloud very often, because my cat Francesca likes to lie in
the “slant of light” that the sun brings into the house and onto the floor from time to time.
Liliana said,
January 17, 2011 at 9:46 am
Emily Dickinson is always surprising me. Depending on my mood and state of mind, I see all kinds of different meanings in the same old poems.
Hugs to you and to Francesca.