Poetessa, nato venerdì 10 dicembre 1830 a Amherst, Massachusetts (USA - Stati Uniti d'America), morto sabato 15 maggio 1886 a Amherst, Massachusetts (USA - Stati Uniti d'America)
We learned the Whole of Love - The Alphabet - the Words - A Chapter - then the mighty Book - Then - Revelation closed - But in Each Other's eyes An Ignorance beheld - Diviner than the Childhood's And each to each, a Child -
Attempted to expound What Neither - understood - Alas, that Wisdom is so large - And Truth - so manifold!
He gave away his Life - To Us - Gigantic Sum - A trifle - in his own esteem - But magnified - by Fame - Until it burst the Hearts That fancied they could hold - When swift it slipped it's limit - And on the Heavens - unrolled -
'Tis Ours - to wince - and weep - And wonder - and decay By Blossoms gradual process - He chose - Maturity -
And quickening - as we sowed - Just obviated Bud - And when We turned to note the Growth - Broke - perfect - from the Pod.
A Dying Tiger - moaned for Drink - I hunted all the Sand - I caught the Dripping of a Rock And bore it in my Hand - His Mighty Balls - in death were thick - But searching - I could see A Vision on the Retina Of Water - and of me -
'Twas not my blame - who sped too slow - 'Twas not his blame - who died While I was reaching him - But 'twas - the fact that He was dead.
One Anguish - in a Crowd - A minor thing - it sounds - And yet, unto the single Doe Attempted - of the Hounds 'Tis Terror as consummate As Legions of Alarm Did leap, full flanked, upon the Host - 'Tis Units - make the Swarm -
A small Leech - on the Vitals - The sliver, in the Lung - A leakage in an Artery - Are scarce accounted - Harms -
But mighty - by relation To that Repealless thing - A Being - impotent to stop - When once it has begun.
My period had come for Prayer - No other Art - would do - My Tactics missed a rudiment - Creator - Was it you? God grows above - so those who pray Horizons - must ascend - And so I stepped upon the North To see this Curious Friend -
His House was not - no sign had He - By Chimney - nor by Door Could I infer his Residence - Vast Prairies of Air
Unbroken by a Settler - Were all that I could see - Infinitude - Had'st Thou no Face That I might look on Thee?
The Silence condescended - Creation stopped - for Me - But awed beyond my errand - I worshipped - did not "pray".
It knew no lapse, nor Diminuation - But large - serene - Burned on - until through Dissolution - It failed from Men - I could not deem these Planetary forces Annulled - But suffered an Exchange of Territory - Or World.
It knew no Medicine - It was not Sickness - then - Nor any need of Surgery - And therefore - 'twas not Pain - It moved away the Cheeks - A Dimple at a time - And left the Profile - plainer - And in the place of Bloom
It left the little Tint That never had a Name - You've seen it on a Cast's face - Was Paradise - to blame -
If momently ajar - Temerity - drew near - And sickened - ever afterward For Somewhat that it saw?
She hideth Her the last - And is the first, to rise - Her Night doth hardly recompense The Closing of Her eyes - She doth Her Purple Work - And putteth Her away In low apartments in the Sod - As Worthily as We.
To imitate her life As possible would be As Brew from Our imperfect Mints, The Julep - of the Bee.
The Brain, within it's Groove Runs evenly - and true - But let a Splinter swerve - 'Twere easier for You - To put the Waters back - When Floods have slit the Hills - And scooped a Turnpike for Themselves - And shoved away - the Mills.
Trust in the Unexpected - By this - was William Kidd Persuaded of the Buried Gold - As One had testified - Through this - the old Philosopher - His Talismanic Stone Discerned - still withholden To effort undivine -
'Twas this - allured Columbus - When Genoa - withdrew Before an Apparition Baptized America -
The Same - afflicted Thomas - When Deity pronounced 'Twas blesseder - the seeing not - Provided it believed.