Storm Brewed

Poem of the Day:
"Nature" by Emily Dickinson
Selected Poems

Much of this blogging endeavor is centered on chance; I have challenged myself to chance upon a poem every morning and to draw a link from the words on the page to the events of my day. Thus far, chance has been good to me.

I am sure Dickinson was in attendance at my sister's graduation party; how else would she have so beautifully reconstructed the weather patterns that were the 'rain, shine, rain' day?

She describes a particularly violent rainstorm, writing "The leaves unhooked themselves from trees/And started all abroad;/The dust did scoop itself like hands/And throw away the road" (lines 5-8). But it is the quality of gentleness she portrays that is most striking and demonstrative of Dickinson's poetic adroitness; the dust lifted by the wind is akin to a scooping action of hands, while the leaves are "unhooked" and not torn. Dickinson affords the storm grace in addition to ferocity.

In light of the storm that took place today, and quite a violent and temperamental storm it was, I am in awe of Dickinson. Her piece exhibits a respect for nature that is difficult to understand following a messy (weather-wise) graduation party. I applaud her. I applaud the party-goers, "[T]he cattle [who] fled to barns" (line 14), for embracing what could not be changed, and my mothers for laughing at the same.

Dear me, it is loud in my room right now with all this clapping.

Sincerely,
A Poem A Day Audrey