Beware the Ides of August?
Well, if so – it’s too late! The Ides of August has passed (hmm…have passed?) – it was August 13th! FYI: The word “Ides" names a single day, but somewhat strangely, the word can be both singular and plural. In this case, it denotes a singular day – so it “has passed”).
Ides in the ancient Roman calendar is a day falling roughly in the middle of each month – the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of other months – from which other dates were calculated.
I’m not sure why the Ides of January, August, and Decemeber don’t fall on the 15th since those months have 31 days – like March, May, July and October – but hey, when in Rome, do as the Romans do,no?
Anyway, we’re now two days beyond the Ides of August, and I have yet to mention how many poems penned by Dickinson include the month of August.
The word “August” (i.e., the month) appears in four poems, and the word “august” (i.e., respected, distinguished) appears in three.
Well, if so – it’s too late! The Ides of August has passed (hmm…have passed?) – it was August 13th! FYI: The word “Ides" names a single day, but somewhat strangely, the word can be both singular and plural. In this case, it denotes a singular day – so it “has passed”).
Ides in the ancient Roman calendar is a day falling roughly in the middle of each month – the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th of other months – from which other dates were calculated.
I’m not sure why the Ides of January, August, and Decemeber don’t fall on the 15th since those months have 31 days – like March, May, July and October – but hey, when in Rome, do as the Romans do,no?
Anyway, we’re now two days beyond the Ides of August, and I have yet to mention how many poems penned by Dickinson include the month of August.
The word “August” (i.e., the month) appears in four poems, and the word “august” (i.e., respected, distinguished) appears in three.
| So speaking of “August,” here’s one (at the right), “There is a zone whose even years” – are you in the “Zone”? I suspect she’s talking about some interpretation of Heaven – for me, her views on religion call to mind Frank Lloyd Wright’s comment, “I believe in God – only I spell it Nature” – but perhaps one can interpret this poem in other ways – a zone, perhaps, of internal bliss? |  |
 | At the left: For line 5, Dickinson considered “Where Summer” instead of “Whose Summer,” and for line 7, she considered “fuse,” “lapse,” and “blend” to be used in place of “cease.” Click the image to enlarge. |
RSS Feed
