The saddest noise the sweetest noise 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 ID: 765411
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The saddest noise, the sweetest noise 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 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.
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)
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.
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?
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 rush
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”.
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!