Essential Oils — are wrung —
The Attar from the Rose
Be not expressed by Suns — alone —
It is the gift of Screws —

The General Rose — decay —
But this — in Lady’s Drawer
Make Summer — When the Lady lie
In Ceaseless Rosemary —

Analysis, meaning and summary of Emily Dickinson's poem Essential Oils — are wrung —

2 Comments

  1. Jack says:

    Nature (the sun) may give us the delicate and beautiful fragrance from the flower, but to make a perfume – to capture that fragrance for our use – we must mechanically and unnaturally squeeze the petals. Screw is an ugly word, but it is the screw that gives us the beauty.

  2. Buck says:

    This has to be my favorite ED poem. When the rose petals are wrung, all that is left is the oil. When her life is over (wrung) all that is left is the poetry. When she passed her poetry was found stacked in her dresser drawer and wrapped in red ribbon. Did anyone else read it that way? Be honest?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Do you have any comments, criticism, paraphrasis or analysis of this poem that you feel would assist other visitors in understanding the meaning or the theme of this poem by Emily Dickinson better? If accepted, your analysis will be added to this page of American Poems. Together we can build a wealth of information, but it will take some discipline and determination.