It dropped so low-in my Regard-1
I heard it hit the Ground-
And go to pieces on the Stones
At bottom of my Mind-
Yet blamed the Fate that flung it-less 5
Than I denounced Myself,
For entertaining Plated Wares
Upon my Silver Shelf-
I heard it hit the Ground-
And go to pieces on the Stones
At bottom of my Mind-
Yet blamed the Fate that flung it-less 5
Than I denounced Myself,
For entertaining Plated Wares
Upon my Silver Shelf-
(F.785/J.747)
[1] It:: a poem. dropped:: omitted; words omitted in a poem. low:: low profile, conservative.
[2] Ground:: the bottom of one's mind, hinted in line four; deep in Dickinson's mind.
[3] pieces:: creations, works. Stones:: stone plates for printing.
[4] bottom, Mind:: what she really tried to say.
[5] blamed the Fate, less:: Dickinson didn't blame others.
[6] denounced Myself:: she rejected herself (for reason below).
[7] Plated:: well protected, by riddles. Wares:: products, her poems. entertaining Plated Wares:: playing with riddle poems.
[8] Silver:: prosperous, happy (OED 14b). Shelf:: an inactive (unpublished) state.