A Book
He ate and drank the precious words,
His spirit grew robust;
He knew no more that he was poor,
Nor that his frame was dust.
He danced along the dingy days
And this bequest of wings
Was but a book. What liberty
A loosened spirit brings!
by Emìly Dickinson December 10, 1830-May 13, 1886
It’s the first day of April.
I’m doing the A-Z Blog Challenge and today is the letter “A.”
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/what-is-blogging-from-to-
Since April is National Poetry Month, I thought I would write about poetry and poets for the month. Emily Dickinson, who is my favorite poet, left the world many poems in her room in Amhurst, Massachusetts. Academy of American Poets is the best site for information about poetry.
Emily knew the power of reading and how it contributes to life. But she also knew the pleasure of reading and the wonder found in books. Her poem, A Book, is written in Emily’s signature format of rhyme, short line lengths and brevity. Her poetry is usually short and rich in details through metaphors, analogies, and passion.
Emily makes us visualize the person in the poem being transformed through reading a book. Even though the person was poor and weak, and lived in dingy surroundings, he was able to become stronger, to have hope by reading a book. Emily teahes us that both the act of reading and the story itself are equally rewarding.
Biographers say that Emily spent most of her adult years in her room. She had visitors and family so she wasn’t completely alone. Her writing desk still sits by the window in her bedroom where Emily observed the world outside. Her books also allowed her to learn about life and turn those lessons into poems for everyone.
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robertawrites235681907
April 19, 2023 at 12:21 pmHi Kay, I learned some new information about Emily Dickinson here. Thank you 🌸