I would not paint－a picture－ 1
I'd rather be the One
Its bright impossibility
To dwell－delicious－on－
And wonder how the fingers feel
Whose rare－celestial－stir－
Evokes so sweet a Torment－
Such sumptuous－Despair－
I would not talk, like Cornets－ 9
I'd rather be the One
Raised softly to the Ceilings－
And out, and easy on－
Through Villages of Ether－
Myself endued Balloon
By but a lip of Metal－
The pier to my Pontoon－
Nor would I be a Poet－ 17
It's finer－own the Ear－
Enamored－impotent－content－
The License to revere,
A privilege so awful
What would the Dower be,
Had I the Art to stun myself
With Bolts of Melody!
I'd rather be the One
Its bright impossibility
To dwell－delicious－on－
And wonder how the fingers feel
Whose rare－celestial－stir－
Evokes so sweet a Torment－
Such sumptuous－Despair－
I would not talk, like Cornets－ 9
I'd rather be the One
Raised softly to the Ceilings－
And out, and easy on－
Through Villages of Ether－
Myself endued Balloon
By but a lip of Metal－
The pier to my Pontoon－
Nor would I be a Poet－ 17
It's finer－own the Ear－
Enamored－impotent－content－
The License to revere,
A privilege so awful
What would the Dower be,
Had I the Art to stun myself
With Bolts of Melody!
(F.347/J.348)
[1–8]:: this section talks about photography.
[5] the fingers feel:: the fingers in Dickinson's picture.
[9–16]:: phonautograph was patented in 1857.
[14] Balloon:: the balloon-shaped outline with words in cartoon.
[16] Pontoon:: a hint on cartoon; a bridge to connect, communicate people.
[9] Cornets:: an early design used to concentrate the sounds.
[17–24]:: this section talks about poetry.
At the last meeting of the British Association, the Abbo Moigno read a paper describing a new method of reproducing the human voice und other sounds in such a manner as to be visible to the eye. The instrument by which this is effected is called the phonautograph, and is the invention of a young Frenchman, M. E. L. Scott. The phonautograph consists of a tube, enlarged at one end in the same manner as a trumpet, in order to concentrate the sounds, which are conveyed through it to a thin membrane tightly strained over the other end of the instrument. This membrane carries affixed to it an excessively light style or pencil, which is put in motion by every vibration produced by the action of the air upon the membrane. Behind this style a band of paper, covered with lampblack, is unrolled by clock-work; and as this band passes along, the point of the stylo traces upon the lampblack all the curvilinear and rectilinear movements originating in the vibrations of the membrane, and thus it produces, in its own peculiar characters, a faithful reproduction of the sound. ─ Annual of Scientific Discovery (1860)