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There Is A June When Corn Is Cut

11/5/2020

Here is the poem:

There is a June when Corn is cut
And Roses in the Seed –
A Summer briefer than the first
But tenderer indeed

As should a Face supposed the Grave's
Emerge a single Noon
In the Vermilion that it wore
Affect us, and return –

Two Seasons, it is said, exist –
The Summer of the Just,
And this of Ours, diversified
With Prospect, and with Frost –

May not our Second with its First
So infinite compare
That We but recollect the one
The other to prefer?

Here are the lyrics I created for the song based on the poem:

There is a June when corn is cut
And Roses in the Seed –
A Summer briefer than the first
But tenderer indeed.

Two seasons, it is said, exist –
The Summer of the Just,
And this of Ours, diversified
With Prospect, and with Frost –

May not our Second with its First
So infinite compare
That We be recollect the one
The other to prefer?

As should a Face supposed the Grave’s
Emerge a single Noon
In the Vermillion that it wore
Affect us, and return –

Two seasons, it is said, exist –
The Summer of the Just,
And this of Ours, diversified
With Prospect, and with Frost –

May not our Second with its First
So infinite compare
That We be recollect the one
The other to prefer?

The music for the song is below. Currently it's written in the style of a Fake Book with just the chords given -- no bass line. One of these days I'll write in a bass line and update this music.

Click the images to enlarge.

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Below is a video where I play the song on the piano -- BUT -- I don't sing, so the video is only of the music. However, you can follow along with the words on the sheets of music above.

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After Great Pain A Formal Feeling Comes

11/4/2020

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Below is the music for an original song I wrote based on Emily Dickinson's poem "After great pain, a formal feeling comes." With some of the songs I have written based on Dickinson's poems, I would alter a line or two here or there in order to fit the rhythm of the song, but in this case, the lyrics for the song are the exact words of the poem.

By Emily Dickinson:

After great pain, a formal feeling comes –
The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs –
The stiff Heart questions was it He, that bore,
And Yesterday, or Centuries before?

The Feet, mechanical, go round –
Of Ground, or Air, or Ought –
A Wooden Way
Regardless grown,
A Quartz contentment, like a stone –

This is the Hour of Lead –
Remembered, if outlived,
As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow –
First – Chill – then Stupor – then the letting go –

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Below: A piano version of the song -- no singing. Alas, I don't sing. ; )

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The Moon Was But A Chin Of Gold

11/2/2020

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I used to teach English at the high school level, and one of my favorite poems to introduce to students was Emily Dickinson's "The Moon was but a Chin of Gold."

Before I would share the poem with them, though, I would always project an image of a crescent moon on the board. I would then ask them to suggest images that the moon could represent. Of course, I would always get typical responses like a canoe, a banana, a finger nail, a smile, and the letter "C."

I would then tell them that Emily Dickinson came up with an image of a crescent moon that no student had EVER guessed -- and then the students would try to come up with a few more guesses: A comma. A fish hook. A hammock. And so on.

Not once did anyone ever guess "a chin of gold" -- especially as part of a "perfect face" which ultimately turns upon the world below.

The lesson was very simple, and it really got the students to start thinking of new ways to observe the world.

A few years ago, I wrote a song based on this poem, and the music is below. I hope you like it.

The poem:

By Emily Dickinson:

The Moon was but a Chin of Gold
A Night or two ago –
And now she turns Her perfect Face
Upon the World below –

Her Forehead is of Amplest Blonde –
Her Cheek – a Beryl hewn –
Her Eye unto the Summer Dew
The likest I have known –

Her Lips of Amber never part –
But what must be the smile
Upon Her Friend she could confer
Were such Her Silver Will –

And what a privilege to be
But the remotest Star –
For Certainty She take Her Way
Beside Your Palace Door –

Her Bonnet is the Firmament –
The Universe – Her Shoe –
The Stars – the Trinkets at Her Belt –
Her Dimities – of Blue –

The lyrics based on the poem:

The Moon was but a Chin of Gold
A Night or two ago
And now she turns Her perfect face
Upon the World below –

Her Forehead is amplest Blonde
Her cheek – a Beryl hewn –
Her Eye unto the Summer Dew
The likest I have known--

And what a priv’lege to be
But the remotest Star
For Certainty she takes her way
Beside your palace door

The Moon was but a Chin of Gold
A Night or two ago
And now she turns Her perfect face
Upon the World below –

Her bonnet’s the firmament
The Universe – Her shoe
The stars – the trinkets at her Belt
In her sea of blue

And what a priv’lege to be
But the remotest Star
For Certainty she takes her way
Beside your palace door

Click the images below to enlarge.

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Carolina Cabin

11/2/2020

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Below is the music to a song I wrote based on a poem by Langston Hughes called "Carolina Cabin."

Here's the poem:

There’s hanging moss
And holly
And tall straight pine
About this little cabin
In the wood.

Inside
A crackling fire,
Warm red wine,
And youth and life
And laughter
That is good.

Outside
The world is gloomy,
The winds of winter cold,
As down the road
A wandering poet
Must roam.

But here there’s peace
And laughter
And love’s old story told –
Where two people
Make a home.

Here are the lyrics I arranged based on the poem:

There’s hanging moss
And holly
And one, tall straight pine
About this little cabin
In the wood.

And here there’s peace
And laughter
And love’s old story told—
Where two, two people
Make a home.
Where two, two people
Make a home.

Inside
A crackling fire,
And kindness and warmth
About this little cabin
That is good.

And here there’s peace
And laughter
And love’s old story told—
Where two, two people
Make a home.
Where two, two people
Make a home.

Outside
The gloomy winds
Of winter are cold,
Where one wandering poet
Must roam.

And here there’s peace
And laughter
And love’s old story told—
Where two, two people
Make a home.
Where two, two people
Make a home.

A few things to note:

* The introduction = measures 1 through 8.
* The next 8 measures are music only before the vocals start -- an octave higher than the vocal part. This music-only section repeats each time before the vocals.
* Measures 17 and 18 have a slightly different rhythm in the second & third repeats -- as noted in the insert shown at the bottom of the page.
* The first and second endings finish with a C major chord; however, the third ending concludes with an A minor cord to suggest a hint of melancholy. I have my reasons. : )

Click the images below to enlarge.

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The Sun Just Touched the Monring

11/2/2020

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Quite a number of years ago, I wrote a song based on Emily Dickinson's poem "The Sun Just Touched the Morning," but I never actually wrote it down. My notes for the song are really nothing but a bunch of chicken scratch. (see below on the right). Today I sat at the piano and wrote it out, and I've posted it down below.

Here's the poem:

The Sun – just touched the Morning –
The Morning – Happy thing –
Supposed that He had come to dwell –
And Life would all be Spring!

She felt herself supremer –
A Raised – Ethereal Thing!
Henceforth – for Her – What Holiday!
Meanwhile – Her wheeling King –
Trailed – slow – along the Orchards –
His haughty – spangled Hems –
Leaving a new necessity!
The want of Diadems!

The Morning – fluttered – staggered –
Felt feebly – for Her Crown –
Her unanointed forehead –
Henceforth – Her only One!

Below: When I say my notes were nothing but "chicken scratch," I wasn't joking:

Below is the music. Click the images to enlarge. Here are a couple of things to note:

* For the lyrics, I repeat the third and fourth lines of the poem.
* Also, from the seventh line, I repeat the words "for Her -- What Holiday!"
* For the eleventh line, I omitted the word "a" (so "Leaving a new necessity" is "Leaving new necessity).
* I made a change with the music too -- you'll see that I've omitted the 13th bar of music on Page 1.
* I don't have a metronome to note the exact speed -- but play it slow to moderate.

Here are the complete lyrics:

The Sun – just touched the Morning –
The Morning – Happy thing –
Supposed that He had come to dwell –
And Life would all be Spring!
Supposed that He had come to dwell –
And Life would all be Spring!

She felt herself supremer –
A Raised – Ethereal Thing!
Henceforth – for Her – What Holiday!
For Her – What Holiday!

Meanwhile – Her wheeling King –
Trailed – slow – along the Orchards –
His haughty – spangled Hems –
Leaving new necessity!
The want of Diadems!

The Morning – fluttered – staggered –
Felt feebly – for Her Crown –
Her unanointed forehead –
Henceforth – Her only One!

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As an introduction to the song in the video below, I played the first 8 measures an octave higher -- and then I played the song as written..

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When God Lets My Body Be

11/1/2020

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The song below is based on E. E. Cummings' poem "When God Lets My Body Be." The poem is below on the left. The lyrics to the song based on the poem are below on the right.

Here is the poem by Cummings:

when god lets my body be

from each brave eye shall sprout a tree
fruit that dangles therefrom

the purpled world will dance upon
between my lips which did sing

a rose shall beget the spring
that maidens whom passion wastes

will lay between their little breasts
my strong fingers beneath the snow

into strenuous birds shall go
my love walking in the grass

their wings will touch with her face
and all the while shall my heart be

with the bulge and nuzzle of the sea

Here is how I changed the poem to create the lyrics:

When god lets my body be
When god lets my body be
From each brave eye shall sprout,
shall sprout a tree
When god lets my body be

When god lets my body be
A rose shall beget the spring
That maidens whom passion wastes
Will lay between their breasts
When god lets my body be
Lets my body be
When god lets my body be

My strong fingers beneath the snow
Into strenuous birds shall go
My love walking in the grass
Their wings will touch with her face
Touch with her face

When god lets my body be
When god lets my body be
My heart shall be
Forever with the sea
When god lets my body be
Lets my body be
When god lets my body be.

Below is the music. CLick the images to enlarge.

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You can listen to the song below. However, I am not a singer, so it's just the piano part! : )

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The Last Night That She Lived

11/1/2020

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This song is based on Emily Dickinson's poem "The last Night that She lived." The poems is below on the left, and the lyrics for the song -- based on the poem -- are on the right.

The last Night that She lived,
It was a Common Night,
Except the Dying – this to Us
Made Nature different

We noticed smallest things –
Things overlooked before
By this great light upon our Minds
Italicized –as 'twere.

As We went out and in
Between Her final Room
And Rooms where Those to be
were, a Blame

That others could exist
While She must finish quite
A Jealousy for Her arose
So nearly infinite –

We waited while she passed –
It was a narrow time –
Too jostled were Our Souls to speak
At length the notice came

She mentioned, and forgot –
Then lightly as a Reed
Bent to the Water, struggle scarce –
Consented, and was dead –

And We – We placed the Hair –
And drew the Head erect –
And then an awful leisure was
Belief to regulate –

The last Night that She lived
It was a Common Night
Except the Dying – this to Us
Made nature different

We noticed smallest things –
Things overlooked before
By this great light upon our Minds
Italicized – as it were.

As We went out and in
Between Her final Room
And Rooms where Those to be alive
Tomorrow were, a Blame

The Others could exist
While She must finish quite
A Jealousy for Her arose
So nearly infinite –

We waited while She passed –
It was a narrow time –
Too jostled were Our Souls to speak
At length the notice came.

She mentioned, and forgot –
Then lightly as a Reed
Bent to the Water, struggled scarce –
Consented, and was dead –

As We went out and in
Between Her final Room
And Rooms where Those to be alive
Tomorrow were, a Blame

The Other could exist
While She must finish quite
A Jealousy for Her arose
So nearly infinite –

The last Night that She lived
It was a Common Night
Except the Dying – this to Us
Made nature different

And We – we placed the Hair
And drew the Head erect –
And then an awful leisure was
Belief to regulate –

As We went out and in
Between Her final Room
And Rooms where Those to be alive
Tomorrow were, a Blame

The Other could exist
While She must finish quite
A Jealousy for Her arose
So nearly infinite –

The music is below -- click on the images to elarge. I wrote the lyrics to the first verse and the chorus on the sheet music below, but I did not write the second and third verses, but you can see them above.

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Alas, I don't sing -- but you can listen to hte music below. However, I did not take the repeat. I only played through the song once so that you could hear the melody, and then I went to the ending.

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Jim Asher

This blog contains original songs I have written based on the poetry of Emily Dickinson and other poets.

TO FIND A PARTICULAR SONG:

Click in the archives below to access songs based on a particular poet or click on a specific poem title.

There Is A June When Corn Is Cut

After Great Pain A Formal Feeling Comes

The Moon Was But A Chin Of Gold

Carolina Cabin

The Sun Just Touched the Monring

When God Lets My Body Be

The Last Night That She Lived

Jim Asher

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