Abraham to kill him－1
Was distinctly told－
Isaac was an Urchin－
Abraham was old－
Not a hesitation－5
Abraham complied－
Flattered by Obeisance
Tyranny demurred－
Isaac－to his children 9
Lived to tell the tale－
Moral－with a Mastiff
Manners may prevail.
Was distinctly told－
Isaac was an Urchin－
Abraham was old－
Not a hesitation－5
Abraham complied－
Flattered by Obeisance
Tyranny demurred－
Isaac－to his children 9
Lived to tell the tale－
Moral－with a Mastiff
Manners may prevail.
(F.1332/J.1317)
[1–8] Abraham, Isaac:: a story from Genesis 22, but retold with some suspicious words: urchin, old, flatter, and tyranny.
[9–12] Manners may prevail:: no such record in Bible that Isaac had told the story to his children; this is a supplement by Dickinson to answer the question: what to do when the tyranny asks a father kill his son?
[3] Urchin:: a mischievous boy.
[4] old:: cunning, wily.
[7] Flattered:: meaning Abraham didn't do it with his heart, but faked it. A mischievous boy and wily father can plot to survive.
[8] Tyranny:: a complaint of God.
[11] Mastiff:: a large strong dog, alluding a beast without reasoning.
[12] Manners, prevail:: effective methods. Dickinson was saying that under tyranny, we should prevail by manners, cunningly and mischievously.
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:1–2)