It Sounded as If the Streets were Running (A Gale) : Emily Dickinson's Nature Mysticism

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Circuit I - (02) It Sounded As If the Streets Were Running (A Gale) (J-1397) (F-1454)

⁽¹⁾ It sounded as if the streets were running,
And then the streets stood still.
⁽²⁾ Eclipse was all we could see at the window,
And awe was all we could feel.

⁽³⁾ By and by the boldest stole out of his covert,
To see if time was there —
⁽⁴⁾ Nature was in an opal apron,
Mixing fresher air.

^{(Below: an original manuscript version for
one of four extant variations (Franklin #C),
without editing or
imposed lineation.)}⁽¹⁾ It sounded
as if the
streets were
running
And then – the
streets stood
still –
⁽²⁾ Eclipse – was
all we could
see at the
Window
And Awe – was
all we could
feel.

⁽³⁾ By and by
the boldest
stole out of
his Covert
To see if
Time was there –
⁽⁴⁾ Nature was in
an Opal Apron –
Mixing fresher
Air.

~ Emily Dickinson

Commentary adapted from Emily Dickinson's Poems & Letters

⁽¹⁾ "The dust did scoop itself like hands and threw away the road. The wagons
quickened on the streets, the thunder hurried slow." ~ (J-0824) (F-0796)

^(1-2) "I always ran home to awe when a child, if anything befell me.
He was an awful mother, but I liked him better than none." ~ (L #405)

^(1-4) "Blue is blue — the world through — amber — amber — dew — dew.
Seek — friend — and see. Heaven is shy of Earth — that's all.
Bashful Heaven — thy Lovers small — hide — too — from thee."
~ ( J-0703) (F-0733)

⁽²⁾ "It storms furiously now - and the rain and hail take
turns beating the windows. The sun hasn't shone since Saturday,
all that time the wind's blown almost a constant gale, and
it has been drear enough." ~ (L #87)

⁽²⁾ "The sun shone whole at intervals — then half — then utter hid —
as if himself were optional and had estates of cloud."
~ (J-0606) ( F-0523)

⁽²⁾ "The soul's distinct connection with immortality [...] —
as lightning on a landscape exhibits sheets of place — not yet suspected —
but for flash — and click — and suddenness." ~ (J-0974) (F-0901)

^(2-3) "To pile like thunder to its close, then crumble grand away, while
everything created hid — this — would be poetry." ~ (J-1247) (F-1353)

^(2-3) "Eclipses suns imply." ~ (J-0689-alternative) (F-0284)

^(2-3) "We have had no rain for six weeks except one thunder shower,
and that so terrible that we locked the doors, and the clock stopped —
which made it like Judgment day."
~ (L #471) (biblical ref. Amos 8:9)

^(2-4) "I found you were gone, by accident,
as I find systems are,
or seasons of the year,
and obtain no cause, but suppose
a treason of progress
that dissolves as it goes."
~ (L #280, uncatalogued poem, embedded in prose)

⁽³⁾ "I never knew how to tell time by the clock till I was 15.
My father thought he had taught me, but I did not understand,
and I was afraid to say I did not, and afraid to ask anyone
else lest he should know." ~ (L #342b)

^(3-4) "We have had two hurricanes within as many hours,
one of which came near enough to untie my apron — but
this moment the sun shines . . ." ~ (L #690)

⁽⁴⁾ "The rainbow never tells me that gust and storm are by,
yet is she more convincing than Philosophy." ~ (J-0097) (F-0076)
(ref. Nature's wordless teaching vs. Socrates' dialogues)

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Photo Credit: earlywomenmasters.net ~
Hovering Clouds, Washington Square Park, NYC