Saltwater and Slant Rhymes

Trying my hand at writing poetry in the style of Emily Dickinson (two brand new, exclusive to Substack poems)

Getting my saltwater fix at Nahant Beach in Massachusetts back in 2019

I’m still feeling enchanted from my visit to the Emily Dickinson House two weeks ago, and amidst reading her complete collection of poetry and rewatching A Quiet Passion, I’ve had some fun the last couple of days experimenting with writing poetry modeled after her format and style.

The Emily Dickinson House website has a treasure trove of information and photographs, including a neat section that teaches you all about the format that Emily used when writing her poetry, which is “…often associated with common meter, which is defined by alternating lines of eight syllables and six syllables (8686). In common meter, the syllables usually alternate between unstressed (indicated by a ˘ over the syllable) and stressed (′). Common meter is often used in sung music, especially hymns (think “Amazing Grace”).”

I’ve actually tried singing many of her poems to the tune of Amazing Grace to test out this idea and they fit pretty much perfectly. Incredible, isn’t it?

Last week, I began to write a poem about floating in the ocean, jotting down a line or two on a morning walk or on the train. By Saturday, as I was en route to work at Orchard House, I began to work more earnestly on a few stanzas as I rode the train. A few lines in, it occurred to me how fun it might be to try and “translate” my version of the poem to what it might sound like if Emily wrote it.

Spoiler alert: it was hard. I had immense respect for Emily Dickinson’s craft before, but goodness, after fiddling with a short poem of my own written in her style most of the day yesterday in between tours at the House, I can assure you that the near 1800 poems she wrote during her lifetime are each a triumph of imagination and the English language.

I’m sharing both my Emily inspired poem and my original draft in a style more typical for me below. I truly loved experimenting with it, and while sitting in what is believed to be Anna Alcott’s room at Orchard House, no less. There is no documentation that Emily Dickinson, who didn’t leave her family’s property for the last fifteen years of her life, ever met Louisa May Alcott. Still, it wasn’t lost on me how holy it felt to be writing at the House, with the two literary giants in mind (and in spirit).

I’d love to hear which one resonates with you, and why. Have you ever tried creating something as an homage to a favorite writer, artist, or maker?