Natura, la più dolce delle madri

by Emily Dickinson

Il regno della Natura è per Emily Dickinson lo scenario teatrale che l'Invisibile ha scelto per celarsi e a tratti rivelarsi, in modo sibillino e insieme imperativo, tramite quelli che la poetessa chiama i «Bollettini dell'Immortalità». Dunque Dickinson altro non è che un radar, o meglio una creatura in grado di dare forma poetica ai messaggi che le provengono con «toccante maestà» dalla «più dolce delle Madri» e vengono affidati da Emily a «mani che non vede» nell'assoluta certezza che saranno raccolti e diffusi; questi segreti messaggi, che hanno attraversato nella loro intatta bellezza la storia della poesia, sono stati selezionati, raccolti e tradotti dal poeta Silvio Raffo, che li accompagna con una sua ricca introduzione.

Genres: Poetry

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Emily 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.

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Reviews

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice little book of Emily Dickinson's nature poetry; however, some of the poetry being about nature was a stretch. I did not care for the illustrations by Mary Frank. This book was edited by Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

[elsewhen and away · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having never really read Emily Dickinson before, I must say that this is a very nice little introduction. The foreword is very informative (if never proofread), especially if you've read Bashō. I'm not at all crazy about the semi-interactive cut paper illustrations as they are amateurish, but they capture the delicate, quick, fleeting nature of the poems. Plus, in combination with the font on the cover and quick gift read sort of format - square, hardcover, decorative - it's got exactly the kind of nostalgic 90s Practical Magic vibes I enjoy. A strong 3.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una delle raccolte di poesie più belle che abbia mai letto!! Non li avrei dato una lira; invece sono proprio poesie dell'anima che dipingono la natura nel suo stato olistico. Grazie a queste poesie mi sento molto più vicina alla Natura Madre; devo tanto. Che incontro!

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

La più bella raccolta di Emily Dickinson che riesce a trasmettere con semplicità la meraviglia delle piccole cose che la circondano. Nelle sue poesie trasforma il mondo in uno scrigno pieno di sorprese da scoprire.

[Profumo Di · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bellissime le poesie che ho letto nella versione in lingua originale, purtroppo nella traduzione si perde sempre un po' la musicalità originale

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the intro, comparing zen poetry and Buddhist philosophy to Dickinson’s work.

Some beautiful poems in this collection - she is the nineteenth century Mary Oliver, inspired by nature. My favorite line:

“I’ll tell you how the Sun rose - a Ribbon at a time-”

By the way, this was edited by Jackie Kennedy and begins with a tribute to her:

“Unable are the loved - to die - For love is immortality - Nay - it is Diety -”

[Michael Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about Emily Dickinson is that out of her 1,775 poems, only 7 were published while she was alive. She didn't even give them titles, for the most part. She never wanted to get famous or impress anyone. That's the purity of her thought and the beauty of Dickinson. Although, strangled by puritanical christians all around her, she found a deep and personal spirituality in her reclusive life. Emily writes,

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church-
I keep it, staying at Home-
With a Bobolink for a Chorister-
And an Orchid, for a Dome-