My friend must be a Bird — Shuttlecock

My friend must be a Bird－¹
Because it flies!
Mortal, my friend must be,
Because it dies!
Barbs has it, like a Bee! ⁵
Ah, curious friend!
Thou puzzlest me!

(F.71/J.92)

Step 1. Select Key Words

List more for a short poem is feasible. For longer poems we need to set up priority and possibly do few runs.

Key words: friend, Bird, Mortal, dies, Barbs, Bee, puzzlest.

Step 2. List Usages

• friend: a companion; something helpful; Quaker.
• Bird: an animal; smart guy; youth; shuttlecock.
• Mortal: destined to die; belonging to man; wearisome.
• die: to end something; fail; vanish; fix firmly; mold.
• Barb: a prickle; beard; a kind of horse; part of a woman's head-dress; side branch of a feather.
• Bee: an insect; a busy worker; gathering for certain theme; sweet writer; fantasy, whimsical thought.
• puzzle: to perplex; embarrass.

Step 3. Identify the Answer

Skim through the list. Bird as shuttlecock seems fine. Put this usage in and reason the whole poem.

• Bird: a shuttlecock, also called bird.
• friend: an object or exercise that helps.
• dies: loses a game, of badminton.
• Barbs: side branches of feathers used to make shuttlecock.
• puzzle: to embarrass with difficulties.

Step 4. Check Date

Dickinson riddled what she read, and then twisted a little to seal her own thought. Find some public text in her time will be a good proof of the answer. In some case, the usage she used cannot be found in dictionary like Oxford English Dictionary.

Battledore and Shuttlecock. This game may be played either single or double; that is, by one or by two persons. The shuttlecock (or bird, as some call it) is a cork, with a bunch of small feathers stuck into one end. ─ American Girl's Book (1854)