I keep a spreadsheet on the topics I cover with my daily posts on Dickinson so that I’m not repetitive – unintentionally so – and my notes are not meticulous. I just jot down a relevant few words and/or the first line of any poem I’d shared, but nothing overly detailed. I also make note of any idea for a future post or any “loose end” to clear up, and in a post at the end of June I shared a few items from my inventory of outstanding issues. One of the items on the loose ends” said, “Mathematics v. grammar – info on short poem re: ingot/Peru.” However, I confessed, “I’m not entirely sure what this one is all about.”
Well, it finally dawned on my what that enigmatic statement was all about.
At the conclusion of the post from June 2 (HERE), I shared that Dickinson never used the word “grammar” in any of her works; however, I added, “‘Mathematics’ shows up in three poems.” On that day, I scribbled a note, “Mathematics v. grammar – info on short poem re: ingot/Peru” – but why? What was it about that poem I wanted to impart? It is an odd little poem in that there are several distinct versions. Thomas Johnson’s edition of Dickinson’s “complete poems” includes three of them, one of which includes a mathematical term, “sum” – but that wasn’t why I made the note to myself.
Well, it finally dawned on my what that enigmatic statement was all about.
At the conclusion of the post from June 2 (HERE), I shared that Dickinson never used the word “grammar” in any of her works; however, I added, “‘Mathematics’ shows up in three poems.” On that day, I scribbled a note, “Mathematics v. grammar – info on short poem re: ingot/Peru” – but why? What was it about that poem I wanted to impart? It is an odd little poem in that there are several distinct versions. Thomas Johnson’s edition of Dickinson’s “complete poems” includes three of them, one of which includes a mathematical term, “sum” – but that wasn’t why I made the note to myself.
| JOHNSON EDITION: 1366A (c. 1876) Brother of Ingots – Ah Peru – Empty the Hearts that purchased you – 1366B (c. 1878) Sister of Ophir – Ah, Peru – Subtle the Sum That purchase you – | 1366C (c. 1880) Brother of Ophir Bright Adieu, Honor, the shortest route To you. FRANKLIN EDITION: 1462 (1878) Brother of Ophir Bright Adieu, Honor, the shortest route To you. |
It dawned on me this morning that I made the note because I wanted to call attention to a frustration I have with the “new and improved” online Dickinson archive. I really do like the updated archive – it houses a great deal of helpful information – but there is something about the site’s search feature that aggravates me.
The search field has a drop-down menu with two choices, “Everything” or “First Line/Title.” So, for example, when I plugged in “mathematics” and searched for “Everything,” eleven entries popped up representing five different poems.
As by the dead we love to sit (4 entries)
If I could tell how glad I was (3 entries)
One Crucifixion is recorded (2 entries)
Why should we hurry – why indeed (1 entry)
Brother of Ingots – Ah Peru – (1 entry)
However, only the first three poems listed above actually include the word “mathematics.” The other two, “Why should we hurry – why indeed” and “Brother of Ingots – Ah Peru” do not.
Why were those two poems included in the search results?
In the “Manuscript” section for the first poem, the archive included this (I added the CAPS):
“This unfinished poem is a worksheet draft (Bingham 107-90) written probably in 1885. It occupies three margins and part of the back of a letter which ED wrote but never sent to an Amherst friend, Mrs. William C. Esty, wife of the professor of MATHEMATICS and astronomy. In the center of the leaf ED wrote ‘Tragedy,’ and underlined it twice. On the verso is another unfinished poem. (See no. 1643.)”
Concerning the “Brother of Ingots” poem, these comments appeared in the “Manuscript” section (again, I added the CAPS):
“The third (Amherst College) was incorporated in a note to Mrs. Edward Tuckerman at the time of the death of Elihu Root, the thirty-five-year old professor of MATHEMATICS and natural philosophy in Amherst College, on 3 December 1880. ED did not know him, but knew the esteem with which the Tuckermans had regarded him:
Brother of Ophir
Bright Adieu,
Honor, the shortest route
To you.”
My recommendation for the archive would be to add a third search option, one which would allow for the search of words only within the body of the poem.
I have a quirky post planned for tomorrow, and coincidentally, it includes an example related to this same frustration with the search feature of the archive -- and it's a doozy. Stay tuned.
The search field has a drop-down menu with two choices, “Everything” or “First Line/Title.” So, for example, when I plugged in “mathematics” and searched for “Everything,” eleven entries popped up representing five different poems.
As by the dead we love to sit (4 entries)
If I could tell how glad I was (3 entries)
One Crucifixion is recorded (2 entries)
Why should we hurry – why indeed (1 entry)
Brother of Ingots – Ah Peru – (1 entry)
However, only the first three poems listed above actually include the word “mathematics.” The other two, “Why should we hurry – why indeed” and “Brother of Ingots – Ah Peru” do not.
Why were those two poems included in the search results?
In the “Manuscript” section for the first poem, the archive included this (I added the CAPS):
“This unfinished poem is a worksheet draft (Bingham 107-90) written probably in 1885. It occupies three margins and part of the back of a letter which ED wrote but never sent to an Amherst friend, Mrs. William C. Esty, wife of the professor of MATHEMATICS and astronomy. In the center of the leaf ED wrote ‘Tragedy,’ and underlined it twice. On the verso is another unfinished poem. (See no. 1643.)”
Concerning the “Brother of Ingots” poem, these comments appeared in the “Manuscript” section (again, I added the CAPS):
“The third (Amherst College) was incorporated in a note to Mrs. Edward Tuckerman at the time of the death of Elihu Root, the thirty-five-year old professor of MATHEMATICS and natural philosophy in Amherst College, on 3 December 1880. ED did not know him, but knew the esteem with which the Tuckermans had regarded him:
Brother of Ophir
Bright Adieu,
Honor, the shortest route
To you.”
My recommendation for the archive would be to add a third search option, one which would allow for the search of words only within the body of the poem.
I have a quirky post planned for tomorrow, and coincidentally, it includes an example related to this same frustration with the search feature of the archive -- and it's a doozy. Stay tuned.
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