"Brother of Ingots Ah Peru " By Emily Dickinson [Analysis]

Brother of Ingots Ah Peru [1] Empty the Hearts that purchased you [2] Sister of Ophir [3] Ah, Peru [4] Subtle the Sum[5] That purchase you [6] Brother of Ophir[7] Bright Adieu,[8] Honor, the shortest route[9] To you.[10]
Poems 1366 A and B and C F1462 "Brother of Ophir" Analysis by David Preest [Poem]

Franklin only prints the third of the poems in Johnson. Johnson's poem 1366B was later sent as a note (L585) to Sue with just the introductory sentence, 'Susan I dreamed of you, last night, and send a Carnation to indorse it.' Emily does not know the 'Sum' which could buy the riches of Sue's love, previously described as a 'Peru' in poem 299. In this poem Sue is also associated with 'Ophir,' the port from where the servants of Solomon 'fetched gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon' (I Kings 9:28). Poem 1366C was sent in a note (L677) of December 1880 to Mrs Edward Tuckerman to console her for the loss of her friend, professor Elihu Root, who had recently died at the early age of 35. Emily writes to her, 'I thought of you [when I heard of his death,] although I never saw your friend.' Then she boldly states in the poem that for us 'Honour' is the shortest route to the immortality where he is. Poem 1336A seems to describe a man whose love can only be won by all the ingots of Peru.
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