I’ve been publishing posts about Dickinson’s poems which use the word “nature,” and in one recent post (HERE), I compared her love of nature to that of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Many readers are probably aware of Wright’s love of nature – especially those who are familiar with his organic architecture (his philosophy that integrates buildings with their natural surroundings) – but do you know of Wright’s appreciation of cows?
In his autobiography, Wright – who grew up on a farm in Wisconsin – wrote this:
“Why is any cow, red, black or white, always in just the right place for a picture in any landscape? Like a cypress tree in Italy, she is never wrongly placed. Her outlines quiet down so well into whatever contours surround her. A group of her in the landscape is enchantment.”
Was Dickinson equally enamored of the cow?
Well, Dickinson loved birds – she referred to them as “nature’s little poets” – and I suspect she favored the cow (though I’m not aware of any particular term of endearment she designated for them), but she used the word “cow” in only two poems, “A faded boy in sallow clothes” (written in 1881) and “The Clover’s simple Fame” (from 1872).
Many readers are probably aware of Wright’s love of nature – especially those who are familiar with his organic architecture (his philosophy that integrates buildings with their natural surroundings) – but do you know of Wright’s appreciation of cows?
In his autobiography, Wright – who grew up on a farm in Wisconsin – wrote this:
“Why is any cow, red, black or white, always in just the right place for a picture in any landscape? Like a cypress tree in Italy, she is never wrongly placed. Her outlines quiet down so well into whatever contours surround her. A group of her in the landscape is enchantment.”
Was Dickinson equally enamored of the cow?
Well, Dickinson loved birds – she referred to them as “nature’s little poets” – and I suspect she favored the cow (though I’m not aware of any particular term of endearment she designated for them), but she used the word “cow” in only two poems, “A faded boy in sallow clothes” (written in 1881) and “The Clover’s simple Fame” (from 1872).
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Of “A faded Boy – in sallow Clothes,” the Miller Edition includes the note that the poem “may elegize a statesman (such as Daniel Webster or Abraham Lincoln) who grew up on a farm; Lincoln made much of his farming boyhood during his 1860 presidential campaign.”
There are two variations of “The Clover’s simple Fame.”
Back in June of 2024, the Emily Dickinson Museum posted the second version on Instagram and asked, “What’s your interpretation of this poem?”
One account by the name of @ starrynightrob said this:
“Emily surveys a field of ruin caused by pretentious vanity. Who in 1872 might’ve appeared so self-regarding that Emily saw them as a cautionary tale? Whitman? Byron? Wilde? Anyone who tarnished their reputations through conceit and excess. This will also diminish their actual advantages. Still not convinced? The last two lines contain a chilling prediction. Look back to see who is watching, or to gaze upon that which we should not, and we entertain our own ruin! Ultimately, we degrade our own power. (Interesting factoid: Emily’s nickname for herself in the Master letters is Daisy).”
Starrynightrob did not stop there, though; he also added this:
“Emily’s grace did preserve her posthumous poetic fame. Women are judged more harshly than men and if she had behaved like a self-indulgent diva, I believe modern culture would cancel her. Instead, she will remain an object of admiration and devotion. If some (men) appear to be getting away with more crap, then they only hurt themselves and their finish is unavoidable.”
Men are such pigs, no?
LOL – I say that to get me back where I started – with livestock – more specifically, cows -- and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Check this out: Wright thought that Wisconsin should pass a law compelling farmers to paint their barns red and another to compel them to pasture their cows by the highway and their pigs back behind the barn.
More on cows tomorrow! ; )
There are two variations of “The Clover’s simple Fame.”
Back in June of 2024, the Emily Dickinson Museum posted the second version on Instagram and asked, “What’s your interpretation of this poem?”
One account by the name of @ starrynightrob said this:
“Emily surveys a field of ruin caused by pretentious vanity. Who in 1872 might’ve appeared so self-regarding that Emily saw them as a cautionary tale? Whitman? Byron? Wilde? Anyone who tarnished their reputations through conceit and excess. This will also diminish their actual advantages. Still not convinced? The last two lines contain a chilling prediction. Look back to see who is watching, or to gaze upon that which we should not, and we entertain our own ruin! Ultimately, we degrade our own power. (Interesting factoid: Emily’s nickname for herself in the Master letters is Daisy).”
Starrynightrob did not stop there, though; he also added this:
“Emily’s grace did preserve her posthumous poetic fame. Women are judged more harshly than men and if she had behaved like a self-indulgent diva, I believe modern culture would cancel her. Instead, she will remain an object of admiration and devotion. If some (men) appear to be getting away with more crap, then they only hurt themselves and their finish is unavoidable.”
Men are such pigs, no?
LOL – I say that to get me back where I started – with livestock – more specifically, cows -- and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Check this out: Wright thought that Wisconsin should pass a law compelling farmers to paint their barns red and another to compel them to pasture their cows by the highway and their pigs back behind the barn.
More on cows tomorrow! ; )
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