I substituted at a middle school today (not as a teacher but as an assistant principal), so on a whim, I checked to see if Dickinson ever used the word “substitute” in any of her poems.
Yep, one – “The future never spoke.”
I’m still at the school (the AP is back from his meeting, so currently I’m on hall duty), so I’m not at home to check any variations on this poem in the assorted editions of “complete poems”; however, I did uncover the variation of this poem as it was first published in the 1914 edition of selected poems called “The Single Hound.”
Compared to another variation I found online, you can see that the editors of that 1914 edition “cleaned up” the punctuation of the poem (i.e., they removed all the dashes).
Also, in the pic below, you can see some other alterations and considerations.
Yep, one – “The future never spoke.”
I’m still at the school (the AP is back from his meeting, so currently I’m on hall duty), so I’m not at home to check any variations on this poem in the assorted editions of “complete poems”; however, I did uncover the variation of this poem as it was first published in the 1914 edition of selected poems called “The Single Hound.”
Compared to another variation I found online, you can see that the editors of that 1914 edition “cleaned up” the punctuation of the poem (i.e., they removed all the dashes).
Also, in the pic below, you can see some other alterations and considerations.
This is such a great poem. I love the image of the silent figure of Future awaiting Fate’s telegram – and this reminds me of a clever (VERY) short story by Somerset Maugham (I’ll post it tomorrow).
CONTINUED...
Yesterday, on a whim, I looked up Dickinson’s use of the word “substitute” (cuz I was “substituting” at a middle school). She used the word in one poem, “The future never spoke.”
Dickinson sent this poem to her sister-in-law Susan in 1863, and there are at least two variants of this poem with alternative word and line choices (I’ve highlighted differences below). Most of the differences in published versions deal with Dickinson’s capitalization and use of dashes.
Yesterday, on a whim, I looked up Dickinson’s use of the word “substitute” (cuz I was “substituting” at a middle school). She used the word in one poem, “The future never spoke.”
Dickinson sent this poem to her sister-in-law Susan in 1863, and there are at least two variants of this poem with alternative word and line choices (I’ve highlighted differences below). Most of the differences in published versions deal with Dickinson’s capitalization and use of dashes.
| The poem personifies the Future a la Charles Dickens’ deathly apparition in his classic “A Christmas Carol.” It is a speechless, indifferent figure unwilling to speak or reveal a sign or syllable of what is to come – though completely faithful “to execute / Fate’s Telegram—to Him.” I love that final image – ooooh – I just got chills because I thought of Thomas Hardy’s “The Convergence of the Twain.” I’ll post that tomorrow because today I promised something else. |  |
Yesterday, when I read Dickinson’s “The Future never spoke,” it reminded me of Somerset Maugham’s VERY short story, “Appointment in Samarra.” The story is just 198 words, and the speaker is Death.
Yes, the main character in this tale differs from the muted figures in Dickinson’s poem and Dickens’ novella, for in this story Death speaks. Plus, the figure is female (Hmm…are depictions of Death usually male or female? #justasking).
Death in this story, though, is just as dedicated to executing Fate’s telegram as is the Future in Dickinson’s poem (and as the “Spinner of the Years” is in Hardy’s poem which I’ll post tomorrow).
The story is below -- or click HERE (the site has a link to a study guide to use with the story).
Hmmm…other assorted thoughts have now popped into my brain (including a quote from Nabokov’s “Lolita”), but I don’t want to ramble – so I’ll save those circuitous reflections for another day.
Yes, the main character in this tale differs from the muted figures in Dickinson’s poem and Dickens’ novella, for in this story Death speaks. Plus, the figure is female (Hmm…are depictions of Death usually male or female? #justasking).
Death in this story, though, is just as dedicated to executing Fate’s telegram as is the Future in Dickinson’s poem (and as the “Spinner of the Years” is in Hardy’s poem which I’ll post tomorrow).
The story is below -- or click HERE (the site has a link to a study guide to use with the story).
Hmmm…other assorted thoughts have now popped into my brain (including a quote from Nabokov’s “Lolita”), but I don’t want to ramble – so I’ll save those circuitous reflections for another day.
"The Appointment in Samarra"
(as retold by W. Somerset Maugham [1933])The speaker is Death
(as retold by W. Somerset Maugham [1933])The speaker is Death
There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture, now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threating getsture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.
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