Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is, - A poem by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson - Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is,

Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is,
Impatient of no Child --
The feeblest -- or the waywardest --
Her Admonition mild --

In Forest -- and the Hill --
By Traveller -- be heard --
Restraining Rampant Squirrel --
Or too impetuous Bird --

How fair Her Conversation --
A Summer Afternoon --
Her Household -- Her Assembly --
And when the Sun go down --

Her Voice among the Aisles
Incite the timid prayer
Of the minutest Cricket --
The most unworthy Flower --

When all the Children sleep --
She turns as long away
As will suffice to light Her lamps --
Then bending from the Sky --

With infinite Affection --
And infiniter Care --
Her Golden finger on Her lip --
Wills Silence -- Everywhere --

Added: on June 2nd, 2006 at 8:57 PM | Viewed: 5240 times | Comments and analysis of Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is, by Emily Dickinson Comments (7)

Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is, - Comments and Information
Poet: Emily Dickinson Poem: 790. Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is, Volume: Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson Year: Published/Written in 1955 Poem of the Day: Mar 3 2003 Comment 7 of 7, added on April 17th, 2008 at 4:41 PM. Although all these comments are great, but i have a different view of this poem. Dickinson is turning to nature to find the comfort and support she never found in her own mother. She's saying that unlike a human mother, mother nature accepts all her children and comforts them. Varvara from United States Comment 6 of 7, added on June 11th, 2006 at 2:56 AM. This poem is unnearvingly prelapsarian coming from the usually gothic E.D. It is also interesting to note the way in which 'mother nature' is described like God: "incites the timid prayer" - another clear indication of her struggle with religious concepts; she describes 'god' in an essential rather than existential way, thereby contrasting the flow of nature with the mortality of living things or people. This leads to her use of words like Waywardest, feeblest, restraining and suffice, all seem quite restrictive and humble, and all symbolic of D's belief that mundane chores are of infinite importance - because existentially speaking experience is all there is. The use of these words in conjunction with the superlative makes them almost oxymoronic, but hilight the awe with which everyday tasks should be viewed (see ample make this bed, make this bed with 'awe' for another good example). Timian from United Kingdom Comment 5 of 7, added on June 2nd, 2006 at 8:57 PM. I think she is comparing how nature moves at its own pace. There is no way to hurry it. What will be will be. Animals fight, kill but nature does not change it continues to do all it can to grow and survive. On the other hand society imposes all sorts of restraints on wildnest. There are norms and morals and yes, judgements. A certain way to be that moms are to nurture into there children. Nature can be wild but not domesticated kim from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is,, has received 7 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Emily Dickinson with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: Emily Dickinson Poem: 790. Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is, Volume: Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson Year: Published/Written in 1955 Last read: Oct 6 2008, 5:23AM Poem of the Day: Mar 3 2003 Viewed 5240 times. Added on June 2nd, 2006 at 8:57 PM.

Dickinson Info
Biography More Poems (1775 poems) Books