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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emily Dickinson(1830-1886) is one of America’s greatest and most original poets of all time. She took definition as her province and challenged the existing definitions of poetry and the poet’s work. She lived a secluded life, yet she wrote great poetry. The beauty of nature is minutely and feelingly observed and rendered precisely. The poet has composed many nature lyrics. They deal with all possible objects, forces and phenomena of nature. For her nature and God were the two unknowable entities which were beyond the range of human comprehension.
1. The Trees like Tassels hit – and – swung –
There seemed to rise a Tune
From Miniature Creatures
Accompanying the Sun –
2. Far Psalteries of Summer –
Enamoring the Ear
They never yet did satisfy –
Remotest – when most fair
3. The Sun shone whole at intervals –
Then Half – then utter hid –
As if Himself were optional
And had Estates of Cloud
4. Sufficient to enfold Him
Eternally from view –
Except it were a whim of His
To let the Orchards grow –
5. A Bird sat careless on the fence –
One gossiped in the Lane
On silver matters charmed a Snake
Just winding round a Stone –
6. Bright Flowers slit a Calyx
And soared upon a Stem
Like Hindered Flags – Sweet hoisted –
With Spices – in the Hem –
7. ’Twas more – I cannot mention –
How mean – to those that see
Vandyke’s Delineation
Of Nature’s – Summer Day!
Tassels – a bunch of loose threads or laces used for decorations in curtains and ornaments.
Enamors – captivating , fascinating, falling in love.
Psaltery – an ancient string instrument.
Calyx- a cup like cavity or structure.
Slit- incision, cut
hem- edge
Vandyke- denoting a style of garment or decorative design. Anthony Vandyke is an artist one who draws portraits.
Delineation- demarcation, outlining
1. Enamoring the ear…….. what enamors the ear ?
With sunrise, small creatures like bees, gnats etc., come out. The sound of their movement is like music which enamors the ear.
Enamors – captivating , fascinating, falling in love.
Psaltery – an ancient string instrument.
Calyx- a cup like cavity or structure.
Slit- incision, cut
hem- edge
Vandyke- denoting a style of garment or decorative design. Anthony Vandyke is an artist one who draws portraits.
Delineation- demarcation, outlining
1. Enamoring the ear…….. what enamors the ear ?
With sunrise, small creatures like bees, gnats etc., come out. The sound of their movement is like music which enamors the ear.
2“The sun shone whole at intervals Then half-then utter hid” What do you understand about the sun here ?
Here the sun is like a whimsical monarch who comes out of his estate of clouds at will to help the orchards grow.
3. Why is the bird careless on the fence?
The bird sitting on the fence is lazing about in the warmth of the morning sun. So it is careless.
4. On silver matters charmed a snake ….. What does the snake symbolize ?
The snake symbolizes the creatures which live on the land and get energy from the sun for their lives.
5. What do you understand by the psalteries of summer?
Psalteries’ means collection of religious songs sung by bards in praise of God. Here, psalteries refer to the different sound in nature produced by trees, bees, gnats and other small creatures with the coming out of the sun in the morning during summer. These sounds are soothing to the ear like psalteries.
6. What imagery does the poet use to delineate summer’s day more picturesquely than any painter could?
Emily Dickinson commences the poem by depicting the trees as tassels. She says that the morning wind is striking the trees until the branches of the trees bend and start swinging like the tassels that are pulled to open the curtains. It seems as if the trees are dancing with liveliness. She continues to say that as the sun rises, the “miniature creatures” like bees, small birds, gnats etc. create music with the swift beating of their tiny wings.
7. In which lines are creatures attributed with human qualities?
A Bird sat careless on the fence –
One gossiped in the Lane
On silver matters charmed a Snake
Just winding round a Stone –
8. How do you explain the image of the “Hindered Flags”?
The poet uses the image of the 'Hindered Flags' to depict the elegance with which the flowers stand on their stems with petals full of fragrance. The imagery of flowers slitting open their calyxes like hindered flags makes the poet’s description of a summer day more picturesque than a painter could. It is as if embattled troops have hoisted their flags up.
9. Give examples from the poem to show that great poetry is a result of close observation of natural phenomena.
Emily Dickenson made keen observation of natural phenomena and used it in her poems to great effect. In the poem, “Trees”, she describes how the branches and leaves wave in the morning breeze during summer. Miniature creatures start humming tunes when the sun rises. The sun appears from and disappears behind thick clouds. Birds sit carelessly on the fence or chirp in the lanes. A snake winds round a stone for warmth. Petals of the buds slit open their calyxes and blossom into flowers. These examples in the poem show that great poetry is a result of close observation of natural. phenomena.
10. Why are pronouns referring to the Sun capitalised? How does she personify the sun.
The sun is the supreme power he is also considered to be a monarch. The poetess personifies the sun as an emperor. The poetess says that sometimes the sun shines “wholly” (whole) and at other times, he chooses to shine either “half” or he completely hides himself in his “estates of cloud”. It seems as if, on one hand, the sun is a monarch who exercises his power of appearing in front of others by shining wholly when he wishes to. On the other hand, he chooses to enjoy his privacy by residing in his estates of cloud when he does not need to make a public appearance.
Here the sun is like a whimsical monarch who comes out of his estate of clouds at will to help the orchards grow.
3. Why is the bird careless on the fence?
The bird sitting on the fence is lazing about in the warmth of the morning sun. So it is careless.
4. On silver matters charmed a snake ….. What does the snake symbolize ?
The snake symbolizes the creatures which live on the land and get energy from the sun for their lives.
5. What do you understand by the psalteries of summer?
Psalteries’ means collection of religious songs sung by bards in praise of God. Here, psalteries refer to the different sound in nature produced by trees, bees, gnats and other small creatures with the coming out of the sun in the morning during summer. These sounds are soothing to the ear like psalteries.
6. What imagery does the poet use to delineate summer’s day more picturesquely than any painter could?
Emily Dickinson commences the poem by depicting the trees as tassels. She says that the morning wind is striking the trees until the branches of the trees bend and start swinging like the tassels that are pulled to open the curtains. It seems as if the trees are dancing with liveliness. She continues to say that as the sun rises, the “miniature creatures” like bees, small birds, gnats etc. create music with the swift beating of their tiny wings.
7. In which lines are creatures attributed with human qualities?
A Bird sat careless on the fence –
One gossiped in the Lane
On silver matters charmed a Snake
Just winding round a Stone –
8. How do you explain the image of the “Hindered Flags”?
The poet uses the image of the 'Hindered Flags' to depict the elegance with which the flowers stand on their stems with petals full of fragrance. The imagery of flowers slitting open their calyxes like hindered flags makes the poet’s description of a summer day more picturesque than a painter could. It is as if embattled troops have hoisted their flags up.
9. Give examples from the poem to show that great poetry is a result of close observation of natural phenomena.
Emily Dickenson made keen observation of natural phenomena and used it in her poems to great effect. In the poem, “Trees”, she describes how the branches and leaves wave in the morning breeze during summer. Miniature creatures start humming tunes when the sun rises. The sun appears from and disappears behind thick clouds. Birds sit carelessly on the fence or chirp in the lanes. A snake winds round a stone for warmth. Petals of the buds slit open their calyxes and blossom into flowers. These examples in the poem show that great poetry is a result of close observation of natural. phenomena.
10. Why are pronouns referring to the Sun capitalised? How does she personify the sun.
The sun is the supreme power he is also considered to be a monarch. The poetess personifies the sun as an emperor. The poetess says that sometimes the sun shines “wholly” (whole) and at other times, he chooses to shine either “half” or he completely hides himself in his “estates of cloud”. It seems as if, on one hand, the sun is a monarch who exercises his power of appearing in front of others by shining wholly when he wishes to. On the other hand, he chooses to enjoy his privacy by residing in his estates of cloud when he does not need to make a public appearance.
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