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Envelope Poems
Another gorgeous copublication with the Christine Burgin Gallery, Emily Dickinson's Envelope Poems is a compact clothbound gift book, a full-color selection from The Gorgeous Nothings. Although a very prolific poet―and arguably America’s greatest―Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) published fewer than a dozen of her eighteen hundred poems. Instead, she created at home small handmade books. When, in her later years, she stopped producing these, she was still writing a great deal, and at her death she left behind many poems, drafts, and letters. It is among the makeshift and fragile manuscripts of Dickinson’s later writings that we find the envelope poems gathered here. These manuscripts on envelopes (recycled by the poet with marked New England thrift) were written with the full powers of her late, most radical period. Intensely alive, these envelope poems are charged with a special poignancy―addressed to no one and everyone at once.
Full-color facsimiles are accompanied by Marta L. Werner and Jen Bervin’s pioneering transcriptions of Dickinson’s handwriting. Their transcriptions allow us to read the texts, while the facsimiles let us see exactly what Dickinson wrote (the variant words, crossings-out, dashes, directional fields, spaces, columns, and overlapping planes).
Full-color facsimiles are accompanied by Marta L. Werner and Jen Bervin’s pioneering transcriptions of Dickinson’s handwriting. Their transcriptions allow us to read the texts, while the facsimiles let us see exactly what Dickinson wrote (the variant words, crossings-out, dashes, directional fields, spaces, columns, and overlapping planes).
96 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2016
108 people are currently reading
6593 people want to read
About the author
Emily Dickinson
1,552 books6,830 followersEmily Dickinson was an American poet who, despite the fact that less than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime, is widely considered one of the most original and influential poets of the 19th century.
Dickinson was born to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore carried out by correspondence.
Although Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime.The work that was published during her lifetime was usually altered significantly by the publishers to fit the conventional poetic rules of the time. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality, two recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Although most of her acquaintances were probably aware of Dickinson's writing, it was not until after her death in 1886—when Lavinia, Emily's younger sister, discovered her cache of poems—that the breadth of Dickinson's work became apparent. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, both of whom heavily edited the content.
A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time in 1955 when The Poems of Emily Dickinson was published by scholar Thomas H. Johnson. Despite unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be a major American poet.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/emily-di...
Dickinson was born to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she spent a short time at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's house in Amherst. Thought of as an eccentric by the locals, she became known for her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore carried out by correspondence.
Although Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime.The work that was published during her lifetime was usually altered significantly by the publishers to fit the conventional poetic rules of the time. Dickinson's poems are unique for the era in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation.Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality, two recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Although most of her acquaintances were probably aware of Dickinson's writing, it was not until after her death in 1886—when Lavinia, Emily's younger sister, discovered her cache of poems—that the breadth of Dickinson's work became apparent. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, both of whom heavily edited the content.
A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time in 1955 when The Poems of Emily Dickinson was published by scholar Thomas H. Johnson. Despite unfavorable reviews and skepticism of her literary prowess during the late 19th and early 20th century, critics now consider Dickinson to be a major American poet.
For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/emily-di...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 569 reviews
November 19, 2019
In the 70s when I first learned of Emily Dickinson in my high school American Lit class, a picture of her emerged that is now being superseded, thanks to archivists, researchers and biographers. For too many years I’ve had an image of Emily as a perennial girl, never a woman, with genius of course but not emotions she showed in real life, only displaying them on the page; an image where she submissively sits behind her cross-barred bedroom window when she is not writing, imprisoned almost, perhaps by her father, occasionally looking out and ignoring the gawkers on the lawn below. That is not the Emily Dickinson I know now. And of course those poems we read in high school had been edited, for example, to change her capitalization and punctuation, removing those lovely dashes: Reading her unedited poems was the first revelation.
On a recent visit to Amherst to visit her home/museum (a place I could’ve stayed in all day), I bought this little volume in the gift shop, as I’d never heard of the so-called ‘envelope poems’, another revelation, of a new form she used near the end of her life. This small selection is taken from the complete volume of her ‘envelope poems,’ The Gorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson's Envelope Poems -- “gorgeous nothings” is a phrase from one of the poems, included in this book too.
The book is an art object, with transcriptions of her handwriting facing facsimiles of the scraps of envelopes she wrote upon, some of which you can see through to the other side. But, of course, it is her words that are foremost, the shortest of these (of less characters than one can use on a Twitter post) being my favorites, though a slightly longer one (none are long) near the end was intriguing, as it was written on three small sections of a flattened-out envelope and can be read at least two different ways depending on how it is turned. I may just have to get the complete collection now.
A few photos from my day in Amherst: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm3VyiGN
On a recent visit to Amherst to visit her home/museum (a place I could’ve stayed in all day), I bought this little volume in the gift shop, as I’d never heard of the so-called ‘envelope poems’, another revelation, of a new form she used near the end of her life. This small selection is taken from the complete volume of her ‘envelope poems,’ The Gorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson's Envelope Poems -- “gorgeous nothings” is a phrase from one of the poems, included in this book too.
The book is an art object, with transcriptions of her handwriting facing facsimiles of the scraps of envelopes she wrote upon, some of which you can see through to the other side. But, of course, it is her words that are foremost, the shortest of these (of less characters than one can use on a Twitter post) being my favorites, though a slightly longer one (none are long) near the end was intriguing, as it was written on three small sections of a flattened-out envelope and can be read at least two different ways depending on how it is turned. I may just have to get the complete collection now.
A few photos from my day in Amherst: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm3VyiGN
December 26, 2022
legit the blueprint for sapphic poets
November 27, 2024
Almost like haiku or the poetry of e.e. cummings; a glimpse of raw genius. I am always fascinated when there is material that reveals nuanced traits of an iconic figure; 'peeling' back some of the accumulated layers of conventionality, allowing a clearer view of the creative process. Sure to appeal to fans of Emily Dickinson.
July 27, 2022
As there are
Apartments in our
own Minds that -
we never enter without Apology -
we should respect
the seals of
others -
I'm glad the editors of this volume didn't heed this particularly aphoristic poem. Dickinson in fragmentary form is cryptic, capturing a quality that many future poets would strive for (e.g., Anne Carson). Also interesting is the incredible glimpse into a master poet's creative process—alternative words, phrases crossed out, poems re-written on facing pages. The facsimiles are clear and the transcriptions true.
Apartments in our
own Minds that -
we never enter without Apology -
we should respect
the seals of
others -
I'm glad the editors of this volume didn't heed this particularly aphoristic poem. Dickinson in fragmentary form is cryptic, capturing a quality that many future poets would strive for (e.g., Anne Carson). Also interesting is the incredible glimpse into a master poet's creative process—alternative words, phrases crossed out, poems re-written on facing pages. The facsimiles are clear and the transcriptions true.
March 29, 2021
Emily Dickinson cresceu num ambiente puritano e passou quase toda a vida confinada a um quarto onde redigiu cerca de 1750 poemas.
Este é o meu primeiro livro da autora, uma lindíssima edição da SAGUÃO 11, design e composição original adaptada por Rui Miguel Ribeiro e tradução a cargo de Mariana Pinto dos Santos e Rui Pires Cabral.
É uma edição bilingue que reúne uma amostra selecionada a partir da recolha integral dos «poemas envelope», que alguns exegetas designam como «refugo»
Não sou uma leitora de poesia, ou melhor, sou leitora de poemas escritos em Língua Portuguesa, brasileiros e portugueses, pelo que atrever-me em Emily Dickinson foi navegar por mares nunca de antes navegados.
Uma poesia fragmentada escrita em envelopes já utilizados que acredito seja uma inspiração de momento, um registo do fugaz sem emenda e hesitante entre uma palavra ou outra.
Nesta fugaz Existência
Que dura apenas/somente uma hora
Quanto – quão
Pouco –
Podemos
In this short Life
That only/merely lasts an hour
How much – how
Little – is
Within our power
Contemplação
Pela qual
Cesso de
Viver –
Gaze
For wich
I cease to live
Este é o meu primeiro livro da autora, uma lindíssima edição da SAGUÃO 11, design e composição original adaptada por Rui Miguel Ribeiro e tradução a cargo de Mariana Pinto dos Santos e Rui Pires Cabral.
É uma edição bilingue que reúne uma amostra selecionada a partir da recolha integral dos «poemas envelope», que alguns exegetas designam como «refugo»
Não sou uma leitora de poesia, ou melhor, sou leitora de poemas escritos em Língua Portuguesa, brasileiros e portugueses, pelo que atrever-me em Emily Dickinson foi navegar por mares nunca de antes navegados.
Uma poesia fragmentada escrita em envelopes já utilizados que acredito seja uma inspiração de momento, um registo do fugaz sem emenda e hesitante entre uma palavra ou outra.
Nesta fugaz Existência
Que dura apenas/somente uma hora
Quanto – quão
Pouco –
Podemos
In this short Life
That only/merely lasts an hour
How much – how
Little – is
Within our power
Contemplação
Pela qual
Cesso de
Viver –
Gaze
For wich
I cease to live
February 4, 2017
I literally had no idea what she was talking about... Her hand writing is hard to read and I think that some mistakes were made when translating. Many of these poems were also incomplete and I believe she left them unpublished for a reason.
There were one or two poems I really liked but other than that this was very confusing... perhaps I was reading them wrong, but I read them in the way I saw most logical and they did not make sense at all.
There were one or two poems I really liked but other than that this was very confusing... perhaps I was reading them wrong, but I read them in the way I saw most logical and they did not make sense at all.
September 26, 2016
Pocket-sized selection from the magisterial complete collection The Gorgeous Nothings. Both books are superb and put virtually all new books of poetry to shame.
May 29, 2025
"Misconosciuta la ferita
crebbe così tanto
che ci sprofondò tutta la mia vita."
4.5 ⭐️
crebbe così tanto
che ci sprofondò tutta la mia vita."
4.5 ⭐️
January 31, 2022
A little book that is a little boring but so so beautiful and a very quick read. I have never seen a printing like this, with one page being an image of Dickinson’s handwritten scraps of paper and immediately next to it a minimal and more legible rendering of the poem in the same layout as the original envelope. As someone who has been struggling with productivity recently I will say: Realizing how prolific Dickinson was in her life makes me wonder if she would have written 12,000 poems on little scraps of paper if she’s had been alive at the same time as HBO Max.
March 4, 2017
A lovely little book.
Read
October 16, 2021hands down my favourite poet. an icon.
December 21, 2021
what the heck!!!!!!!!!!!! "Look back / on Time / with kindly / Eyes -"
whatever you say, Ms. Dickinson!!!!!!!!!!
whatever you say, Ms. Dickinson!!!!!!!!!!
November 5, 2022
But are notYesterday, I visited my favorite bookstore after a very long time. I came across this beautiful little edition of Emily Dickinson's Envelope Poems, which I couldn't leave behind. The book is a work of art in itself, with gorgeous facsimiles of Dickinson's writings scrambled on bits of envelope (hence the title). While the title promises Poems, this somewhat oversells the material: many of the writings are probably better characterized as notes, musings, thoughts, aphorisms, and so on. In fact, these writings are also known within Dickinson scholarship as 'scraps'. The truth seems to lie somewhere in between. Few, if any, of the writings are poems in a formal, fully-formed sense. Which is fine—there is enough, in the end, to justify the material's interest, even if I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't more actual writing (a number of pages simply contain pictures of bits of envelope addressed to or by Dickinson). The good bits are really good, though.
all Facts Dreams
as soon as
we put
them behind
us - (92)
"One note from
One bird
Is better than
A million words." (48)
September 30, 2021
I absolutely loved this. I see reviews that knocked a star off because some poems felt “unfinished” or “confusing” and whilst I agree I also felt as if that’s why I, personally, loved it. As a historian it’s always wonderful to see anything and everything from simple things to simple thoughts, however careless they may seem to us, or unimportant and forgettable to the contemporary maker. I almost felt a bit voyeuristic reading these poems, like I walked into a room and found these scraps on someone’s desk.
There are some really standout poems to me in this but the sentence that hit me hardest was “I have no life but this to lead”, as if Emily from centuries away knows what I’m going through, what I’m thinking…. Maybe humans do have universal truths after all….
Loved this publication, the juxtaposition of the original letters and how they looked was marvellous and interesting especially as a historian and (aspiring) palaeographer, though I imagine even non-historians find it fascinating.
Lovely read, will read again
There are some really standout poems to me in this but the sentence that hit me hardest was “I have no life but this to lead”, as if Emily from centuries away knows what I’m going through, what I’m thinking…. Maybe humans do have universal truths after all….
Loved this publication, the juxtaposition of the original letters and how they looked was marvellous and interesting especially as a historian and (aspiring) palaeographer, though I imagine even non-historians find it fascinating.
Lovely read, will read again
Read
January 24, 2022“As there are apartment in our own minds that we never enter without apology — we should respect the seals of others.”
lovely.
lovely.
December 3, 2021
There is always something incredible to say about Emily Dickson’s poetry. In this novel, the manuscripts collected - or rather her notes - are a look into a different Emily.
It’s exciting to see what she jotted down on miscellaneous envelopes. Very different from her original style. Which I really liked. Still very much her signature but somewhat more mature and almost more sure of herself. You get an insight to her wanderings. Loved this book so much!
It’s exciting to see what she jotted down on miscellaneous envelopes. Very different from her original style. Which I really liked. Still very much her signature but somewhat more mature and almost more sure of herself. You get an insight to her wanderings. Loved this book so much!
June 13, 2021
"O mais belo Lar que
conheci
foi construído numa Hora
Por certos Conhecidos meus
Uma aranha e uma Flor -
Um presbitério de renda e
de Seda - Brilho -Sol"
***********************
"Assim como há
Quartos na nossa
Mente onde -
nunca entramos
sem pedir Desculpa -
Devemos também respeitar
o recato dos
outros -"
conheci
foi construído numa Hora
Por certos Conhecidos meus
Uma aranha e uma Flor -
Um presbitério de renda e
de Seda - Brilho -Sol"
***********************
"Assim como há
Quartos na nossa
Mente onde -
nunca entramos
sem pedir Desculpa -
Devemos também respeitar
o recato dos
outros -"
December 15, 2016
A gorgeous little book of small poetry on small things. Highly recommended.
June 28, 2020
I think I might be not smart enough for EmDick because half the time I’m like hmm what
September 7, 2025
Absolutely remarkable. I remember checking out the full facsimile from the University of St Andrews library during the pandemic, which was such a source of solace.
I found a copy on sale at Gibert Joseph in Paris, which was meant to be! Dickinson's envelope poems are informing the writing I am creating during my residency in France, dialoguing with a château's extensive archives (including much handwritten correspondence).
Such a delight to read these words and ponder their unique medium—the envelope. Somewhat transparent, in transit, covered with cursive names of loved ones, multi-directional, ephemeral.
I found a copy on sale at Gibert Joseph in Paris, which was meant to be! Dickinson's envelope poems are informing the writing I am creating during my residency in France, dialoguing with a château's extensive archives (including much handwritten correspondence).
Such a delight to read these words and ponder their unique medium—the envelope. Somewhat transparent, in transit, covered with cursive names of loved ones, multi-directional, ephemeral.
October 26, 2021
"Nesta fugaz Existência
que dura apenas uma hora
somente
Quanto - quão
pouco - podemos"
Emily Dickinson
***
Este livro tem uma delicadeza que é raro encontrar.
Talvez sejam as imagens dos envelopes (a cor, a sugestão da textura, do toque - do objecto real que pode ser tocado); talvez sejam os poemas fragmentados, as palavras rasuradas (o mundo de bastidores, a vida privada, o processo de criação); ou talvez seja a própria letra da autora que carrega o peso da presença: eu estive aqui, eu escrevi isto... ("This is my letter to the world")... e é possível que a combinação de todos estes elementos sustente a delicadeza que encontro neste maravilhoso livro.
O livro foi reeditado recentemente, em Julho de 2021, e eu tive o privilégio de conseguir uma cópia na Feira do Livro de Lisboa.
que dura apenas uma hora
somente
Quanto - quão
pouco - podemos"
Emily Dickinson
***
Este livro tem uma delicadeza que é raro encontrar.
Talvez sejam as imagens dos envelopes (a cor, a sugestão da textura, do toque - do objecto real que pode ser tocado); talvez sejam os poemas fragmentados, as palavras rasuradas (o mundo de bastidores, a vida privada, o processo de criação); ou talvez seja a própria letra da autora que carrega o peso da presença: eu estive aqui, eu escrevi isto... ("This is my letter to the world")... e é possível que a combinação de todos estes elementos sustente a delicadeza que encontro neste maravilhoso livro.
O livro foi reeditado recentemente, em Julho de 2021, e eu tive o privilégio de conseguir uma cópia na Feira do Livro de Lisboa.
March 10, 2021
This little book contains fragments of poems and prose written by Emily Dickinson on pieces of envelopes and scraps of old-paper. The poems and the book itself are short. It does feel almost invasive, reading the passing thoughts and ideas of Emily Dickinson she never likely envisioned being published in a book for me to read.
This is definitely a book I will pick up from my shelf and flick through on a bored rainy Sunday.
It would make an excellent gift for someone who is into, or wants to get into poetry. The presentation of the book is beautifully simple and will make a fine addition to my collection.
This is definitely a book I will pick up from my shelf and flick through on a bored rainy Sunday.
It would make an excellent gift for someone who is into, or wants to get into poetry. The presentation of the book is beautifully simple and will make a fine addition to my collection.
August 3, 2025
"In this short Life that only lasts an hour / How much - how little - is within our power"
"Look back on Time with kindly Eyes - He doubtless did his best - How softly sinks that trembling Sun In Human Nature's West"
tender, delicate and intimate. oh my dearest emily, how I adore you.
"Look back on Time with kindly Eyes - He doubtless did his best - How softly sinks that trembling Sun In Human Nature's West"
tender, delicate and intimate. oh my dearest emily, how I adore you.
January 1, 2021
but are not all facts dreams as soon as we put them behind us
July 24, 2023
A lot of them were like, illegible but I love her work, and some of them were really good!
September 19, 2022
C'était un beau cadeau de ma belle Véro, qui sait que je tripe pas poésie en général, mais qui connait mon amour pour Emily Dickinson que j'ai découverte à travers l'émission Dickinson avec Hailee Steinfeld*. On a d'ailleurs sur notre conversation Messenger un emoji qui s'active quand on écrit les mots "Sentences of Plush", tirés du poème All the letters I can write, un de mes préférés.
D'entrée de jeu, ce sont pas les meilleurs poèmes d'Emily Dickinson (même s'il y a quand même des gros standouts), mais c'est tellement beau et intéressant de voir les scans colorés des manuscrits, écrits sur des lettres repliées pour en faire leur propre enveloppe, avec les hachures qu'impliquent un brouillon et les mots placés entre les lignes pour proposer des alternatives à certains vers des poèmes. Ça rendait le tout très personnel.
----------
* Véro m'a d'ailleurs dit quand on écoutait l'émission qu'Hailee Steinfeld était physiquement la version féminine de moi, puis je suis d'accord et ça me plait beaucoup. Elle m'a par contre aussi dit quelques mois plus tard qu'elle trouvait qu'Hailee Steinfeld avait l'air niaiseuse. It was the longest con :'(
D'entrée de jeu, ce sont pas les meilleurs poèmes d'Emily Dickinson (même s'il y a quand même des gros standouts), mais c'est tellement beau et intéressant de voir les scans colorés des manuscrits, écrits sur des lettres repliées pour en faire leur propre enveloppe, avec les hachures qu'impliquent un brouillon et les mots placés entre les lignes pour proposer des alternatives à certains vers des poèmes. Ça rendait le tout très personnel.
----------
* Véro m'a d'ailleurs dit quand on écoutait l'émission qu'Hailee Steinfeld était physiquement la version féminine de moi, puis je suis d'accord et ça me plait beaucoup. Elle m'a par contre aussi dit quelques mois plus tard qu'elle trouvait qu'Hailee Steinfeld avait l'air niaiseuse. It was the longest con :'(
January 4, 2025
I've decided to read a little bit more poetry. So when I saw this book on the shelf I thought it looked interesting. And I took it home. It's been a long time since I've read Emily Dickinson or any poetry book for that matter.
It actually was very inspiring and super thoughtful to read through. It is also very short and beautifully laid out. Basically it is a collection of Emily's poems she wrote on small recycled pieces of envelopes. You can read her handwriting on envelope images (photos of the originals) or the artistic transcription which keeps the form and layout of her originals.
The poems are complex and make you feel like you've walked into her room and are reading her diary or journal which contains hidden thoughts and feelings. I loved the word choices, the thought processes, the form, the edits. Some of them are super short poems, some can be read in more than one direction, some really make you wonder. I love her strong thoughts and feelings. Some seemed unfinished, some were a little confusing, all of them made you think.
Some of her poems might be slightly PG 13, so be forewarned.
A poem is like viewing a painting. You just get a tiny artistic glimpse of life, not the full 3d image. In reading poetry you have to be comfortable with the unknown. It truly is word painting. It forces you to use your imagination, but perhaps when you fill in the blanks, you may not fully comprehend what the author is trying to portray. I felt that a lot when reading these poems. It's like an imperfect dance between the reader and the author.
I remember visiting my grandma when she was very old. She had suffered some brain damage as an adult and had difficulty remembering. She also was having some memory issues. Around her apartment were notes, poems, Bible verses, etc. Reading this collection reminded me of my grandma's writing on all different types of paper and scraps. I wish that someone had saved them.
Some people think in pictures, some think mathematically, some think in color, most of us think in words, precious words. Often the words beg to be written down. Poetry is word crafting. Feeling telling.
Perhaps I will attempt writing some poetry again.
Here are some of my favorite poems from the book:
One note from
One Bird
is better than
A million words
There are those
who are shallow
Intentionally
and only
profound
by
accident
As there are
Apartments in our
own Minds that-
we never enter
without Apology-
we should respect
the seals of
others
I have no
life but this
to lead...
It actually was very inspiring and super thoughtful to read through. It is also very short and beautifully laid out. Basically it is a collection of Emily's poems she wrote on small recycled pieces of envelopes. You can read her handwriting on envelope images (photos of the originals) or the artistic transcription which keeps the form and layout of her originals.
The poems are complex and make you feel like you've walked into her room and are reading her diary or journal which contains hidden thoughts and feelings. I loved the word choices, the thought processes, the form, the edits. Some of them are super short poems, some can be read in more than one direction, some really make you wonder. I love her strong thoughts and feelings. Some seemed unfinished, some were a little confusing, all of them made you think.
Some of her poems might be slightly PG 13, so be forewarned.
A poem is like viewing a painting. You just get a tiny artistic glimpse of life, not the full 3d image. In reading poetry you have to be comfortable with the unknown. It truly is word painting. It forces you to use your imagination, but perhaps when you fill in the blanks, you may not fully comprehend what the author is trying to portray. I felt that a lot when reading these poems. It's like an imperfect dance between the reader and the author.
I remember visiting my grandma when she was very old. She had suffered some brain damage as an adult and had difficulty remembering. She also was having some memory issues. Around her apartment were notes, poems, Bible verses, etc. Reading this collection reminded me of my grandma's writing on all different types of paper and scraps. I wish that someone had saved them.
Some people think in pictures, some think mathematically, some think in color, most of us think in words, precious words. Often the words beg to be written down. Poetry is word crafting. Feeling telling.
Perhaps I will attempt writing some poetry again.
Here are some of my favorite poems from the book:
One note from
One Bird
is better than
A million words
There are those
who are shallow
Intentionally
and only
profound
by
accident
As there are
Apartments in our
own Minds that-
we never enter
without Apology-
we should respect
the seals of
others
I have no
life but this
to lead...
September 16, 2024
Dickinson’s poetry never fails to speak to me. This edition is physically stunning, and the poems selected are full of life and poignancy.
“Let us strive to part with time more reluctantly, to watch the pinions of the fleeting moment until they are dim in the distance & the new coming moment claims our attention.”
“Let us strive to part with time more reluctantly, to watch the pinions of the fleeting moment until they are dim in the distance & the new coming moment claims our attention.”
Read
August 24, 2021ποιήματα πάνω σε φακέλους αλληλογραφίας, σε γραμματόσημα και ονόματα αποστολέων. ένα όμορφο βιβλίο που αναρωτιέται (κι αυτό) τι σχέση έχει η γραφή με τα υλικά της, τα χαρτιά, τα μολύβια, τις άτακτες γραμμές.
✏️🌼
*Look back
on Time
with kindly
Eyes -
He doubtless
did his best -
[...]
✏️🌼
*Look back
on Time
with kindly
Eyes -
He doubtless
did his best -
[...]
October 22, 2023
Un vero e proprio gioiellino!
Buste di poesia raccoglie fotografie e trascrizioni che la mia amata Dickinson ha tracciato a matita sugli involucri delle sue missive. Perché si, insieme ai versi contenuti nei fascicles - i libri da lei rilegati e custoditi sugli scaffali - e a quelli delle lettere che mandava ad amici e conoscenti, c’è un altro filone di materiali su cui la calligrafia leggera ed elegante di Emily Dickinson ha composto parole poetiche: le buste postali.
La busta postale è quella che contiene la lettera, è una sorta di scrigno, qualcosa che avviluppa, contiene, include qualche altra cosa.
Come ha riassunto Nadia Fusini nella sua prefazione: “Ma Emily che cosa fa? Apre la busta: la usa nel senso avverso alla sua programmata funzione. La rovescia, la smembra, la apre, la dispiega, la sviscera (…) In queste scritture Emily sembra giocare con il dentro e il fuori, con l’involucro, la custodia, il contenitore: non c’è niente in verità da nascondere, in ciò che sta nell’aperto della parola. La parola stessa è la busta”.
Le buste di poesia sono dunque scritti sulle buste che, più che poesie, sono messaggi, annotazioni.
Un gioiellino prezioso che porterò sempre stretto stretto al mio cuore.
Buste di poesia raccoglie fotografie e trascrizioni che la mia amata Dickinson ha tracciato a matita sugli involucri delle sue missive. Perché si, insieme ai versi contenuti nei fascicles - i libri da lei rilegati e custoditi sugli scaffali - e a quelli delle lettere che mandava ad amici e conoscenti, c’è un altro filone di materiali su cui la calligrafia leggera ed elegante di Emily Dickinson ha composto parole poetiche: le buste postali.
La busta postale è quella che contiene la lettera, è una sorta di scrigno, qualcosa che avviluppa, contiene, include qualche altra cosa.
Come ha riassunto Nadia Fusini nella sua prefazione: “Ma Emily che cosa fa? Apre la busta: la usa nel senso avverso alla sua programmata funzione. La rovescia, la smembra, la apre, la dispiega, la sviscera (…) In queste scritture Emily sembra giocare con il dentro e il fuori, con l’involucro, la custodia, il contenitore: non c’è niente in verità da nascondere, in ciò che sta nell’aperto della parola. La parola stessa è la busta”.
Le buste di poesia sono dunque scritti sulle buste che, più che poesie, sono messaggi, annotazioni.
Un gioiellino prezioso che porterò sempre stretto stretto al mio cuore.
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