Emily Dickinson Lecture 15 th Nov 2011 Alison Aitken The saddest noise the sweetest noise The maddest noise that grows The birds they make it in the spring At nights delicious close ID: 196469
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Slide1
The saddest noise, the sweetest noise
Emily Dickinson Lecture
15
th
Nov 2011
Alison AitkenSlide2
The saddest noise, the sweetest noise,
The maddest noise that grows,
The birds, they make it in the spring,
At night’s delicious close
Between the March and April line,
That magical frontier
Beyond which summer hesitates,
Almost too heavenly near.
It makes us think of all the dead
That sauntered with us here.
By separation’s sorcery
Made cruelly more dear.
It makes us think of what we had,
And what we now deplore.
We almost wish those siren throats
Would go, and sing no more.
An ear can break a human heart
As quickly as a spear;
We wish the ear had not a heart
So dangerously near.Slide3
The saddest noise, the sweetest noise, (a) (8)
The maddest noise that
grows, (b) (6)
The birds, they make it in the spring, (c) (8)
At night’s delicious
close (b) (6)
Between the March and April line, (a) (8)
That magical
frontier (b) (6)
Beyond which summer hesitates, (c) (8)
Almost too heavenly
near. (b) (7?)
It makes us think of all the dead (a) (8)
That sauntered with us
here. (b) (6)
By separation’s sorcery (c) (8)
Made cruelly more
dear. (b) (6)
It makes us think of what we had, (a) (
And what we now
deplore. (b)
We almost wish those siren throats (c)
Would go, and sing no
more. (b)
An ear can break a human heart (a)
As quickly as a
spear; (b)
We wish the ear had not a heart (a)
So dangerously
near. (b)Slide4
The
saddest
noise, the
sweetest
noise,The maddest noise that grows,The birds, they make it in the spring, At night’s delicious close
Superlatives “est” – bird’s song = extremes of sad, sweet, mad (erratic, complex)
Begins with noise – not with subject (birds) = immediate aural confusion
“Birds” (first in line), “make it” – creators
Sing-song melody, created by
abcb
, 8/6 meter, “delicious” and “night’s close” = romantic, atmosphere. Slide5
Between
the March and April
line,
That
magical frontierBeyond which summer hesitates,Almost too heavenly near.
Between / line – transitional (think noon in others)Magical – enchanted, romantic, fairy-tale feel?
The giddy, anxious, quivering of “in between” think back to Hungry… “trembling” moment just before…
Expectation: love, romance?
Line/frontier – battle line? Slide6
It makes us think
of
all the dead
That
sauntered with us here.By separation’s
sorceryMade cruelly more dear.
Finishes with…all the…dead (subtle contrast/incongruous word choice)
Sibilant s – whispered, slapping – sinister atmosphere
Opens with ponderous lofty/ whimsical line
Oppositions: cruel and dear = complexity of emotional experience stimulated by birds’ song
Sauntered: walk slowly, no rushSlide7
It makes
us think of what we had
And what we now deplore
We
almost wish those siren throatsWould go and sing no moreBirds’ song has become “siren”
Throat – biological (practical, no longer magical)We – inclusive - humanity, universal emotional experience>
The birds’ call brings pain – so much that the P wishes they would “go and sing no more”. Slide8
An ear can break a human heart
As quickly as a spear;
We wish the ear had not a heart
So
dangerously near.Simple, effective simile: sounds can break a …heart/as quickly as a spear
Spear – weapon, rapid, piercing, horrificWe wish – inclusive personaDoes ED belong with us??
Danger – to feel pain of lost friends
I
n ED’s usual style, its deceptively
simple
conclusion - is hard to comprehend!Slide9