Between My Country — and the Others —

Between My Country — and the Others —
There is a Sea —
But Flowers — negotiate between us —
As Ministry.


      -Fr829, J905, fascicle 40, 1864


This poem was most likely written to be presented to a friend and accompanied with a flower. Emily Dickinson often wrote occasional poetry of this kind. I've said it before but it bears repeating: there should be a book of these poems sold in flower shops which present a bouquet of two dozen of Dickinson's flower poems. This poem would be a good one to include in the bunch. 

Look how much this small flower of a poem does in such a little space.

For starters, it opens up vistas by conflating people with countries. This is a poem sent to a single person, or maybe persons. Therefore "my Country," in this poem, means, first, myself. It is understood that this flower is being used to negotiate through ministry to "Others," which is to say to other people. People are compared to Countries, and upon reflection, we can see how large and complex each of us are, like walking Countries. (See Fr687 for one of Dickinson's many poems with this theme)

And, conversely, Countries are like people. This idea opens up this poem to readings along political, racial and religious divides, and suggests a way to negotiate between them through ministry. It is recommended that this ministry be through the gift of flowers.

Flowers in this poem represent beauty. Flowers look and smell undeniably beautiful and the implication here is that beauty unites us. We all share a love for beauty. It brings smiles to our faces. Flowers, though often overlooked in our day to day lives, are revered in every culture, and you could say the same of poetry. The link between flowers and poetry is beauty. If flowers could speak, it would sound like poetry. I mean this in the grounded sense of poetry having pleasing patterns of sound, just as flowers have pleasing patterns of petals. This poem, for instance, pleasingly rhymes "There is a Sea" with "Ministry." 

Granted, you want the thing you give to be beautiful, and the consideration of beauty is essential, but the paramount thing is the gift itself. It is the act of giving that counts. 

If you give someone flowers, you are giving the literal flower of the earth itself. A flower is called a flower because it is beauty flowing from the earth. (That's probably not true, but it sounds good.) What better gift could a diplomat give? What Country could refuse?

But Flowers — negotiate between us —

The word “negotiate” in this poem strikes me as ironic. Countries “negotiate” with each other and so do people, but the idea of flowers negotiating is oxymoronic. Flowers are a gift from the earth, always. They don't negotiate, they just are. So when we give them as a gift it is a reminder of natural bounty.

But Flowers — negotiate between us —
As Ministry.

The word “ministry” is rich with resonance. The word can refer to a government department, like the "Ministry of Education" and therefore fits the "Country" diplomacy motif. It also has a religious connotation. A "ministry" can refer to the work or service, or the body of clergy in a church. Finally, there is a healing connotation, like the idea of a nurse “ministering” to one’s wounds.

The word "minister" itself comes from the Latin "minus," meaning "less," reflecting the idea of service or being subordinate. 

All of this, a flower, which is to say, beauty, will do.

I don't think that Truth and Beauty are the same (like Keats’ Urn tells us) but they do seem to be nearly synonymous. Truth and Beauty summon one another. They cry out for one another.

Truth is in the gift, in the human connection, and Beauty is in the flower. Dickinson gives them both to us in her poetry. This is her "ministry" across the great divide.

      -/)dam Wade l)eGraff

lilies of the valley make good ministers

P.S. I found a good online essay about this poem by Brianne Jacquette that made some terrific connections. Check it out.