Dickinson included the word “Thanksgiving” in two of her poems, “One Day is there of the Series” and “’Twas just this time last year I died.” I’ve shared and discussed both in the past, but here are the poems again.
For today, I thought I’d check into the mention of traditional Thanksgiving foods in Dickinson’s poetry to see if any of them are there. Alas, the cupboard of Dickinson’s poems is rather bare when it comes to tasty turkey-day delights.
These foods have zero mentions:
Turkey, gravy, potato, stuffing, cornbread, yam, carrot, cranberry (and no “sauce” either), bean and casserole.
Twenty-three entries pop up in the Dickinson archive for the word “corn,” representing eight different poems. “Pea” shows up in one.
As far as desserts go, “pie” appears in “Sic transit gloria mundi,” but not as a baked dessert. It’s used in “cap-a-pie,” from the Middle French “cap a pé,” meaning from “head to foot” (ex: “He was armed cap-a-pie for the battle”).
But what about pie fillings?
There are zero mentions of “pecan,” “coconut,” and “lemon.” However, “pumpkin” shows up in one poem, “’Twas just this time last year I died,” and “apple” appears in ten different works
.
By the way, “bread” shows up in seven poems.
Have I forgotten any of the traditional fare?
Have a relaxing or animated Thanksgiving – whichever you are hoping for! I’ll be on hiatus for a few days. My next daily dose of Dickinson will come on December 1st.
These foods have zero mentions:
Turkey, gravy, potato, stuffing, cornbread, yam, carrot, cranberry (and no “sauce” either), bean and casserole.
Twenty-three entries pop up in the Dickinson archive for the word “corn,” representing eight different poems. “Pea” shows up in one.
As far as desserts go, “pie” appears in “Sic transit gloria mundi,” but not as a baked dessert. It’s used in “cap-a-pie,” from the Middle French “cap a pé,” meaning from “head to foot” (ex: “He was armed cap-a-pie for the battle”).
But what about pie fillings?
There are zero mentions of “pecan,” “coconut,” and “lemon.” However, “pumpkin” shows up in one poem, “’Twas just this time last year I died,” and “apple” appears in ten different works
.
By the way, “bread” shows up in seven poems.
Have I forgotten any of the traditional fare?
Have a relaxing or animated Thanksgiving – whichever you are hoping for! I’ll be on hiatus for a few days. My next daily dose of Dickinson will come on December 1st.
Ohhhh...adon't forget to check out my post on the 2025 Trump Economy Shopping Season HERE.
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