"It sifts from Leaden Sieves" Emily Dickinson

It sifts from Leaden Sieves —
It powders all the Wood.
It fills with Alabaster Wool
The Wrinkles of the Road —

It makes an Even Face
Of Mountain, and of Plain —
Unbroken Forehead from the East
Unto the East again —

It reaches to the Fence —
It wraps it Rail by Rail
Till it is lost in Fleeces —
It deals Celestial Vail



To Stump, and Stack — and Stem —
A Summer's empty Room —
Acres of Joints, where Harvests were,
Recordless, but for them—

It Ruffles Wrists of Posts
As Ankles of a Queen —
Then stills its Artisans — like Ghosts —
Denying they have been —



I have been taking a poetry appreciation class for a couple of years now through BCAE, Boston Community Adult Education. Many of the members of the class have been with the instructor for years. In the two years I've been in the group, we've studied Theodore Roethke, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Dylan Thomas, and now, Emily Dickinson.
I enjoy reading the poems and discussing them in a group, because everyone brings so much to the discussion. I learn far more than I ever would reading the poems on my own.




The Emily poem posted here seemed appropriate to me for this time of year. She certainly was familiar with Massachusetts winters, living in Amherst and leaving it only a couple of times in her life.

The language of the poem is so perfectly chosen to describe a snowstorm, and yet it enhances the description of snow as well. I find it lovely.

There are two versions of this poem. The one below is the one she submitted for publication. You might find other versions in older publications, as she would often have other words written out to the side of the poems. One version has Juggler's Flowers instead of Figures.

Here is the second version:

It sifts from Leaden Sieves -
It powders all the Wood -
It fills with Alabaster Wool
The Wrinkles of the Road -

It scatters like the Birds -
Condenses like a Flock -
Like Juggler's Figures situates
Upon a baseless Arc -

It traverses yet halts -
Disperses as it stays -
Then curls itself in Capricorn -
Denying that it was -

These are some photos that I took during the last big storm and the one of the footprints through my backyard was from last Sunday.

Happy 3rd annual silent poetry reading day!