The Butterfly's Assumption Gown 1
In Chrysoprase Apartments hung
This afternoon put on－
How condescending to descend
And be of Buttercups the friend
In a New England Town－
In Chrysoprase Apartments hung
This afternoon put on－
How condescending to descend
And be of Buttercups the friend
In a New England Town－
(F.1329/J.1244)
[1] Assumption Gown:: wings of the butterfly inside cocoon; a loose dress with association. This loose dress will apply to the rest of this poem.
[2] Chrysoprase:: a word close to chrysalis, the pupa state of butterfly. The word chrysalis appears three times in all Dickinsons' poems. Chrysoprase Apartments:: apple-green butterfly cocoons.
[3] put on:: to dress, ornament. afternoon:: languor, laziness; in sense "procrastinating, slow, lazy," as afternoon farmer (OED 3b, 1743).
[4] condescending, descend:: one word within the other.
[5] Buttercups:: a word with butter same as butterfly.
[6] England Town:: the associated words are "English Tone" following the logic above. New England Town:: a new English tone in a New England Town.