I’m posting ten of my favorite Dickinson poems about death and grief, and I’m up to number five (though I’m not ranking the poems and/or posting them in any specific order) – and today’s poem is “If anybody’s friend be dead,” a poem of grief filled with the poignant memories of a deceased friend that “make the Quick of Woe!”
| The final lines from yesterday’s poem (HERE), “‘Tis good – the looking back on grief” say this: “And though the Woe you have Today / Be larger – As the Sea / Exceeds its Unremembered Drop / They’re water – equally” – and today’s poem examines how the smallest memories are, in fact, the expanse that can “make the quick of Woe.” And the images Dickinson includes in the poem are just perfect. Some of my favorites: Lines 3 & 4: “The thinking how they walked alive / At such and such a time” (when I see my own reflection walking toward a door of glass, I see my father “walking toward me). Line 7: “A prank nobody knew but them” (I can't help but think of my older sister). Line 13: “How pleased they were, at what you said” And now all of it is – as stated in line 8 – “Lost, in the Sepulchre.” Are there particular images in this poem that speak to you? By the way – that fifth stanza is a bit puzzling, no? First, Dickinson seems to suggest that “this Grand Thing” – is that the dead friend? – “don't remember you.” Second, there’s that problematic use of “don’t” when the contraction should be “doesn’t.” Clearly Dickinson knows the proper use of “doesn’t” – don’t she? Er…doesn’t she? LOL – more on this tomorrow! **wink, wink** |  |
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