My mother introduced me to the poetry of Emily Dickinson at an early age. Her poems are often simple and used a structure that fits the melody for The Yellow Rose of Texas and the theme from Gilligan’s Island – but do not be fooled. There are deep truths and emotions waiting to be discovered in Emily’s poetry.
I’m nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there’s a pair of us — don’t tell!
They’d banish us, you know.How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!
Emily Dickinson
So what is Emily saying here?
What an interesting poem, right???
Maybe Emily Dickinson had a conflict between being driven to write and share her poems, but at the same time, wanting to remain a very private person. It would be enlightening to know at what point in her career this poem was written. Maybe at the beginning, when she knew she had great potential, but was hesitant to go public. Thanks, Patrick for making us think!