In honor of Victoria Amador's birthday!
ECSTATIC EMILY
~ ACCUSTOMED, CEREMONIOUS ~
 |
Unfortunately, a latter - day writer -- not Emily! --
has faked the second half of this quotation
and attributed the entire passage to Dickinson.
I could tell you the whole story,
but this wise blogger already
figured it out TWENTY (20!) years ago!
I only happened to notice it this summer
when I purchased an appealing birthday card
and wanted to verify the original poem or letter
in which these words first appeared.
The Wrong Way
Don't be fooled!
Apparently, even "Brainy Quote" is not always so brainy:
The Right Way
As you can see, Dickinson's intended message has more of an edge than the late 20th C feel - good re-write. It is a poem of warning, and nowhere does Dickinson use the word "ecstatic." She advises the reader: be ready or you'll miss your chance!
The Soul should always stand ajar
That if the Heaven inquire
He will not be obliged to wait
Or shy of troubling Her
Depart, before the Host have slid
The Bolt unto the Door —
To search for the accomplished Guest,
Her Visitor, no more —
As I keep asking my friend Victoria
~ whose birthday we celebrate today! ~
"Is nothing sacred?"
Or must we perpetually fall from innocence,
no matter how old we grow?
Perhaps the answer to that question is "yes,"
and perhaps it always has been,
which is why Dickinson says:
"We turn not older with years,
but newer every day."
All we can do is the make the best of it,
and have a Happy Birthday Anyway!
Next Fortnightly Post
Thursday, August 14th
Between now and then, read
THE QUOTIDIAN KIT ~ Not Older With the Years
my shorter, almost daily blogs
www.dailykitticarriker.blogspot.com
Looking for a good book? Try
KITTI'S LIST
my running list of recent reading
www.kittislist.blogsppot.com
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