"Sang from the Heart, Sire,"

By Emily Dickinson
[Analysis]
Sang from the Heart, Sire, [1]
Dipped my Beak in it, [2]
If the Tune drip too much [3]
Have a tint too Red [4]
Pardon the Cochineal -- [5]
Suffer the Vermillion -- [6]
Death is the Wealth [7]
Of the Poorest Bird. [8]
Bear with the Ballad -- [9]
Awkward -- faltering -- [10]
Death twists the strings -- [11]
'Twasn't my blame -- [12]
Pause in your Liturgies -- [13]
Wait your Chorals -- [14]
While I repeat your [15]
Hallowed name -- [16]
Poem 1059 [F1083]
"Sang from the Heart, Sire"
Analysis by David Preest
[Poem]
Paula Bennett takes the 'Sire' of the poem to be God. Emily's response to him has been from the heart, but if it has also been 'awkward
[and] faltering' through dealing with deep suffering and ultimately death, that was not her 'blame' but God's for causing the suffering. God
might pause from listening to the 'Chorals' of praise from others while Emily just repeats his 'Hallowed name.'
But Charles Anderson believes that this 'ballad' of Emily's has been sung to her beloved master. It was his failure to respond to her which
has made her ballad falter as it sang of the suffering he has caused and the death of their love which he has brought about. She is in such
deep despair that she cannot manage her usual praises of him. All she can do is to repeat his name.
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