Two Butterflies Went Out at Noon : Emily Dickinson's Nature Mysticism

Emily Dickinson's Nature Mysticism : A Photo Poetic Labyrinth
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Circuit I - (03) Two Butterflies Went Out at Noon (J-0533) (F-0571)

^{(Original manuscript version from Fascicle 25, without

editing [except for "upon" for "opon"] or imposed lineation.)}

⁽¹⁾ Two Butterflies went out at Noon –
And waltzed upon a Farm,
⁽²⁾ Then stepped straight through
the Firmament
And rested, on a Beam –

⁽³⁾ And then – together bore away
Upon a shining Sea –
⁽⁴⁾ Though never yet, in any Port,
Their coming mentioned – be –

⁽⁵⁾ If spoken by the distant Bird –
If met in Ether Sea
⁽⁶⁾ By Frigate, or by Merchantman –
No notice – was – to me –

~ Emily Dickinson

Commentary adapted from Emily Dickinson's Poems & Letters

^(1-2) "A power of butterfly must be the aptitude to fly, meadows of
majesty concedes and easy sweeps of sky." ~ (J-1099) (F-1107)

^(1-2) ~ See ED letter #1004 as prose, embeds poetry —
(L2 and L3 rhyme with L5 and L6)
--------
"I write in the midst
of sweet-peas and by
the side of orioles,
and could put my hand
on a butterfly,
only he withdraws."
--------

^(1-4) "Life is so strong a vision, not one of it shall fail." ~ (L #860)

^(1-4) "Touch Liberty — then know no more, but noon, and paradise —"
~ (J-0512) (F-0360)

⁽²⁾ "The butterfly upon the sky that doesn't know it's name . . .
is just as high as you and I, and higher, I believe."
~ (L #718) (J-1521) (F-1559)

^(3-4) "Home and roam in one." ~ (L #728)

^(3-6) "Is it oblivion or absorption when things pass
from our minds?" ~ (L #342b)

^(3-6) "The butterfly rises to the situation . . . an ell of rapture
to an inch of wing." ~ (L #723)

^(3-6) "Existence — in itself — without a further function —
omnipotence — enough." (J-0677) (F-0876)

^(3-6) "I do not go away, but the grounds are ample —
almost travel, to me . . . " ~ (L #735)

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