Guest poem sent in by Priscilla Jebaraj
(Poem #1925) I Asked No Other Thing I asked no other thing, No other was denied. I offered Being for it; The mighty merchant smiled. Brazil? He twirled a button Without a glance my way: But, madam, is there nothing else That we can show today? |
I was skimming through Jean Webster's "Daddy Long Legs" yesterday, because I was sure I remembered a poem written by her heroine Judy Abbott in college, which would go with the current theme. Couldn't find it, but I did come across this rather enigmatic Dickinson piece. Judy, writing to her guardian, tells him about the poem -- "In English class this afternoon we had an unexpected written lesson. This was it: I asked no other thing, No other was denied. I offered Being for it; The mighty merchant smiled. Brazil? He twirled a button Without a glance my way: But, madam, is there nothing else That we can show today? That is a poem. I don't know who wrote it or what it means. It was simply printed out on the blackboard when we arrived and we were ordered to comment upon it. When I read the first verse I thought I had an idea--The Mighty Merchant was a divinity who distributes blessings in return for virtuous deeds-- but when I got to the second verse and found him twirling a button, it seemed a blasphemous supposition, and I hastily changed my mind. The rest of the class was in the same predicament; and there we sat for three-quarters of an hour with blank paper and equally blank minds. Getting an education is an awfully wearing process!" I must admit that, like Judy, my idea of what it means is rather vague. But since, unlike Judy, I don't have to get an education out of it, I'm free to enjoy it with my own interpretation! I'd guess that the Mighty Merchant is meant to be God, a God who seems to smile indifferently at her deepest desires. Some commentators suggest that Brazil is a reference to heaven -- apparently, "during this period, exotic locations frequently... represented heaven, or something desired and dreamt of, yet beyond reach and denied." Other readings of the poem say Dicksinson is speaking for all women seeking emancipation and freedom, the one thing that is denied to them. Quite apart from meaning, I think those first two lines just stick in the memory somehow! Anyone else care to take a stab at interpretation? Priscilla
51 comments: ( or Leave a comment )
Post a Comment