tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post3918665121258569409..comments2024-03-29T00:07:13.458-07:00Comments on the prowling Bee: One and One — are One —Susan Kornfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05384011972647144453noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-55631052371832805372023-10-23T08:31:29.653-07:002023-10-23T08:31:29.653-07:00ED offers three multiple choice possibilities for ...ED offers three multiple choice possibilities for the upper limit of our human ability to understand “Life — . . . Death — . . . Everlasting —”:<br /><br />(A) 3<br />(B) 2<br />(C) 1<br /><br />Methinks her choices omit the correct answer:<br /><br />(D) 0.<br />Larry Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02810899482852120751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-6802380701242148942023-10-22T15:25:39.987-07:002023-10-22T15:25:39.987-07:00"However, I think that Dickinson decided to w..."However, I think that Dickinson decided to wield "minor" ironically: arithmetic is fine for schools but not for such "minor" matters as life or death or the everlasting."<br /><br />An ironic “minor” matches ED's penchant for ironic “just”, as in:<br /><br />F248, ‘One Life of so much Consequence!’, Stanza 2”<br /><br />"One Pearl — to me — so signal —<br />That I would instant dive —<br />Although — I knew — to take it —<br />Would cost me — just a life!"<br /><br />F249, ‘You're right — "the way is narrow" —’, Stanza 2<br /><br />[Admission to Heaven]<br />"'Tis Costly — So are purples!<br />'Tis just the price of Breath —"<br /><br />F353, ‘I'm ceded—I've stopped being Theirs—‘, Stanza 3:<br /><br />"But this time—Adequate—Erect,<br />With Will to choose,<br />or to reject,<br />And I choose, just a Crown—"<br />Larry Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02810899482852120751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-31824662621025060942013-09-14T16:18:03.722-07:002013-09-14T16:18:03.722-07:00The use of "and, or, one" indicate perha...The use of "and, or, one" indicate perhaps that ED was thinking of logic. What made me hesitant to bring this up earlier was that I was/am not sure (1) how much ED was aware of the development of logic (some of the stuff on Boolean algebra and De Morgan's laws probably occurred either just a decade before or after the publication of this poem), (2) I'm really bad at history of math--never really studied what happened when.<br /><br />If she did know, or had an innate understanding of such a logical framework (1 and 1=1, equivalently, true and true = true), it adds a bit to the second stanza. She could be saying this is about it for the individual to either consider (comprising): life, death, everlasting. And, our logical considerations are only on these three variables. Or, three paths of life: life, death, everlasting... that's it! No more variables in life.<br /><br />I know that ED had interests in the sciences and mathematics at school--think I read it here... Was there anyone she talked to in later life about mathematics and the sciences?Zefirinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05826052577521342639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-11058614509025463022013-09-14T08:52:51.523-07:002013-09-14T08:52:51.523-07:00I like "It's all I have to bring today&qu...I like "It's all I have to bring today", too. <br />As to multiplication, the usage has been, since before Dickinson's time (I'm pretty sure), that "and" is additive and not multiplicative. But the way you phrase it, choosing life repeatedly which, as you point out, achieves multiplication, would indeed be a multiplication that achieves one. Susan Kornfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05384011972647144453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029797379711350813.post-56985418107383606832013-09-10T23:13:29.507-07:002013-09-10T23:13:29.507-07:00I'll always remain partial to the math referen...I'll always remain partial to the math reference in "It's all I have to bring today-" At the moment, it's still my favourite poem of hers, though there are days where I definitely favour other poems. <br /><br />Here, the math is quite cool too. Inner choosing--could potentially elide to multiplication. She could be saying if you choose life repeatedly, you end up living the one life that is given (1 times 1 is 1). If you forsake your life and choose death, you've given up choice, life, and you are done with math (1 + 1 = 2). Enough of the silly calculus, just make your minor decision between the two binary operations (either addition or multiplication). Zefirinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05826052577521342639noreply@blogger.com