tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post8432956896931785370..comments2024-03-28T18:48:28.471-07:00Comments on the prowling Bee: The Beggar Lad — dies early —Susan Kornfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05384011972647144453noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-9328520366552555882023-10-22T08:55:03.106-07:002023-10-22T08:55:03.106-07:00Dickinson's doubts about resurrection and afte...Dickinson's doubts about resurrection and afterlife argue against "It is likely that Dickinson penned this from . . . hope that the next life will be a better one for the suffering children".<br /><br />However, her emotional doubts about her rational doubts, for example, her hope for a heavenly marriage with Wadsworth, leave us hanging in ambiguity, but we're inured to that.<br /><br /><br />Larry Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02810899482852120751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-91444232029267917692023-10-22T08:05:17.273-07:002023-10-22T08:05:17.273-07:00[In 2017,] “The average life span of a homeless pe...[In 2017,] “The average life span of a homeless person was shorter by about 17.5 years than that recorded for the general population. The average age at death of a homeless male was 56 years, and 52 years for homeless females.”<br /><br />PLoS One. 2017; 12(12): Mortality among the homeless: Causes and meteorological relationships<br /><br />https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5739436/#:~:text=Results,9.85)%20of%20a%20homeless%20female <br /><br />Average longevity of homeless Irish immigrants in the U.S. during the 1860s was surely shorter than average longevity of the general homeless population in 2017.<br /><br /><br /><br />Larry Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02810899482852120751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-1627812338875097482020-09-22T05:52:59.500-07:002020-09-22T05:52:59.500-07:00Their supplication was not in vain, because they r...Their supplication was not in vain, because they received the ultimate prize, in ED’s book, of Death. She never met a death she didn’t like or could glorify in some way. Pphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01023162636086533197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-36828220600946231902017-01-13T21:32:28.038-08:002017-01-13T21:32:28.038-08:00Re-reading it now, it seems clearer to me that ...Re-reading it now, it seems clearer to me that 'Ragged-Coat' is a metonymy for 'beggar children'. So, never did they supplicate him in vain.Susan Kornfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05384011972647144453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-68914224954636653892017-01-07T13:34:52.145-08:002017-01-07T13:34:52.145-08:00The manner in which she inverted the last two line...The manner in which she inverted the last two lines leaves that drop of doubt in your mind as to whether or not the supplication was in vain. The last line of the poem reads "did supplicate in vain." The poem sure doesn't seem to end on a reassuring note.<br /><br />Perhaps the line "To Him whom never Ragged-Coat" could be read alternatively as "to him whom never wore a ragged-coat". Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10047678873938396282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-89870375253006424432013-09-10T09:03:46.838-07:002013-09-10T09:03:46.838-07:00As always your delvings turn up interesting ways o...As always your delvings turn up interesting ways of reading the poem! Thank you. However, I think in some instances, for example the Ragged Coat / Turncoat suggestions, you may be working too hard. ;) <br /><br />I certainly agree that Dickinson *must* have aversion to the situation of the begging children. However, it might be said that if she were truly moved by their plight she might have tried publishing her poems about them.Susan Kornfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05384011972647144453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-10939403083349744042013-09-10T02:43:56.258-07:002013-09-10T02:43:56.258-07:00I can see why it might appear that the second or i...I can see why it might appear that the second or ironic interpretation might appear to be a bit of a stretch, but there might be some additional points that lend support for that view point. <br /><br />Additionally, I read that last stanza in two ways-- consider:<br /><br />The Childish Hands that teased for Pence<br />(the childish hands as dude above--it is also capitalized, ED capitalizes for dude above--requesting penance or form of payment in a Pence)<br />Lifted adoring — them —<br />(dude above sees his beloved beggar lad, and adoringly wishes to take the beggar lad--this also works with "A homely tale" where the second interpretation of the word "miss" gives the inclining that dude above wants to take the homely back to him).<br />To Him whom never Ragged — Coat<br />(Dude above takes his hands to the boy with the ragged clothes, but also--there is also a second interpretation of rag. If you think of rag as a verb, then it can be defined as to torment, tease, or scold. So, here, despite the trials the beggar lad suffers, the beggar lad never rags against dude above. He takes his suffering willingly).<br />Did supplicate in vain —<br />(The coat did not help the boy at all, and he passes away. Or, the gentle pleas of the boy to live are in vain).<br /><br /><br />The inverted relationship works equally well<br /><br />The Childish Hands that teased for Pence<br />(The beggar lad who requested quietly for money for food and a coat)<br />Lifted adoring — them —<br />(gave up and took his hands--to)<br />To Him whom never Ragged — Coat<br />(dude above, who never scolded the lad--a bit ironic considering how much the beggar lad suffered; dude above covers the lad. Here, I am making a bit of a leap, but coat could be short for turncoat. She chides the boy for going over to the other side. She metaphorically dies in "Because I did not stop for Death-" but this dude dies for real; she disapproves.)<br />Did supplicate in vain —<br />(The boy's sweet begging--or supplication to humanity's better side--goes in vain, and the boy goes over to the other side)<br /><br /><br />Additionally, it is a bit difficult to see ED to simply get over her initial aversion or bitterness of prating of heaven (We pray - to Heaven). She might be a bit annoyed by me pratting on and on and making the beggar boy a somebody, when she feels kinship in being a nobody with the homely boy and beggar lad, but, personally, I can't see her having no aversion to what she is describing).Zefirinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05826052577521342639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-53000230187513778562013-09-09T10:47:05.452-07:002013-09-09T10:47:05.452-07:00Thank you. The references to earlier poems by ED ... Thank you. The references to earlier poems by ED are very helpful, as are the citations to Dickens and Blake.<br /><br /> Blake actually has two poems entitled "The Chimney Sweeper". I agree that they are deeper, darker and more provocative than this poem, which seems to be less ironical than Blake's Chimney Sweeper poem in Songs of Innocence. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com