Poems by Emily Dickinson (First Series): Transcriber's Note
Transcriber's Note
As is well documented, Emily Dickinson's poems were edited in these early editions by her friends, better to fit the conventions of the times. In particular, her dashes, often small enough to appear as dots, became commas and semi-colons.
In the second series of poems published, a facsimile of her handwritten poem which her editors titled "Renunciation" is given, and I here transcribe that manuscript as faithfully as I can, showing _underlined_ words thus.
Entirely for me -
I thought that such were for the Saints -
Where Resurrections - be -
The flowers - accustomed - blew,
As if no soul - that solstice passed -
Which maketh all things - new -
The falling of a word
Was needless - as at Sacrament -
The _Wardrobe_ - of our Lord!
Permitted to commune - _this_ time -
Lest we too awkward show
At Supper of "the Lamb."
Clutched tight - by greedy hands -
So - faces on two Decks look back -
Bound to _opposing_ lands.
Without external sound,
Each bound the other's Crucifix -
We gave no other bond -
Deposed - at length the Grave -
To that new marriage -
_Justified_ - through Calvaries - of Love!
From the handwriting, it is not always clear which are dashes, which are commas and which are periods, nor it is entirely clear which initial letters are capitalized.
However, this transcription may be compared with the edited version in the main text to get a flavor of the changes made in these early editions.
-JT
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