Had I not seen the Sun 1
I could have borne the shade
But Light a newer Wilderness
My Wilderness has made－
I could have borne the shade
But Light a newer Wilderness
My Wilderness has made－
(F.1249/J.1233)
This poem is about "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres" by Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543). The narrator is Nicolaus Copernicus. Dickinson compared this with her wild poetry.
[1] Sun:: the source of light and warmth (of words).
[2] shade:: the dullness, unintelligence.
[3] Wilderness:: an uncultivated field in literature.
[4] Wilderness:: without restraint or control. The newer wilderness was made by Dickinson's wilderness. The wildest thing she did would be those poem she wrote.