Conscious am I in my Chamber, 1
Of a shapeless friend－
He doth not attest by Posture－
Nor Confirm－by Word－
Neither Place－need I present Him－5
Fitter Courtesy
Hospitable intuition
Of His Company－
Presence－is His furthest license－9
Neither He to Me
Nor Myself to Him－by Accent－
Forfeit Probity－
Weariness of Him, were quainter 13
Than Monotony
Knew a Particle－of Space's
Vast Society
Neither if He visit Other－17
Do He dwell－or Nay－know I－
But Instinct esteem Him
Immortality－
Of a shapeless friend－
He doth not attest by Posture－
Nor Confirm－by Word－
Neither Place－need I present Him－5
Fitter Courtesy
Hospitable intuition
Of His Company－
Presence－is His furthest license－9
Neither He to Me
Nor Myself to Him－by Accent－
Forfeit Probity－
Weariness of Him, were quainter 13
Than Monotony
Knew a Particle－of Space's
Vast Society
Neither if He visit Other－17
Do He dwell－or Nay－know I－
But Instinct esteem Him
Immortality－
(F.773/J.679)
[1] Conscious:: a hint on consciousness.
[2] shapeless friend:: Dickinson's self-consciousness.
[6–8] Courtesy, Hospitable, His Company:: behaviors of Dickinson with her consciousness.
[9] Presence:: demeanour, carriage, or aspect of a person (OED 5a). license:: excessive liberty; abuse of freedom (OED 3b).
[11, 12] by Accent Forfeit Probity:: way of speaking showing improbity, wickedness.
[13] quainter:: more clever, ingenious.
[13, 14] Weariness, Monotony:: the weariness of her consciousness is more ingenious than monotony (of the atomic theory).
[15, 16] Knew, Particle, Space:: identified a particle in the universe that is made of particles.
[17, 18] visit, dwell:: she knows not if he'll visit other (and leave her), or he'll stay with her.
[19, 20] Instinct, Immortality:: but her instinct considers that this consciousness is immortal, with her or not.