literature and mental health: reading for wellbeing · knowing my heart’s best treasure was no...

Week3PoemsProcessing

Itdoesn’treallymatterwhatyou’velost:Whetherit’stheflatlineonthebedsidemonitorThesinglehairupontheemptypillowOrtheabsenceofanincomingtext,YouwillhavetolearnthatthebookofmemoryCanstillbereadbutthereisnothingmoretowrite.Whateveritisyou’velostItwillalwaysbethesame:Deny:PerhapsI’llwakeandfinditalladreamWe’llmeetagaininheavenHe’sstillinlovewithme.Rage:LifeissounfairGoddoesnotcareWhyme?IhateherforleavingmesosoonIhatemyselfbecauseitmusthavebeenmyfault.Bargain:OGod,ifIamgood,canIhavehimback?Dearlove,IwilldoanythingIfyougivemeonemorechance.Wallow:Nothingmattersanymore.TodayIwillnotrisefrombed.InmyheartIhowl.

LiteratureandMentalHealth:ReadingforWellbeing

Accept:Sheisnotcomingback.Thesuncomesuptomorrow.Thebookofmemoryisfilledwithjoy.ItisnotabetrayalToliveTolaughToloveagain.AndingettingthereIthelpstolookaround.ToseethelightinatreeofautumngoldAndknowthatthereisbeautywhensomethingdies.TowatchthemistliftfromthelakeatdawnAndknowthatbeneatheveryshroudThereisachildcalledhope.JonathanBateSheDweltAmongtheUntroddenWays

ShedweltamongtheuntroddenwaysBesidethespringsofDove,AMaidwhomtherewerenonetopraiseAndveryfewtolove:AvioletbyamossystoneHalfhiddenfromtheeye!-Fairasastar,whenonlyoneIsshininginthesky.Shelivedunknown,andfewcouldknowWhenLucyceasedtobe;Butsheisinhergrave,and,oh,Thedifferencetome!WilliamWordsworth(1770–1850)

SurprisedByJoy

Surprisedbyjoy—impatientastheWindIturnedtosharethetransport—Oh!withwhomButThee,longburiedinthesilentTomb,Thatspotwhichnovicissitudecanfind?Love,faithfullove,recalledtheetomymind—ButhowcouldIforgetthee?—Throughwhatpower,Evenfortheleastdivisionofanhour,HaveIbeensobeguiledastobeblindTomymostgrievousloss!—Thatthought’sreturnWastheworstpangthatsorroweverbore,Saveone,oneonly,whenIstoodforlorn,Knowingmyheart’sbesttreasurewasnomore;Thatneitherpresenttime,noryearsunbornCouldtomysightthatheavenlyfacerestore.WilliamWordsworth(1770–1850)TheVoice

Womanmuchmissed,howyoucalltome,calltome,SayingthatnowyouarenotasyouwereWhenyouhadchangedfromtheonewhowasalltome,Butasatfirst,whenourdaywasfair.CanitbeyouthatIhear?Letmeviewyou,then,StandingaswhenIdrewneartothetownWhereyouwouldwaitforme:yes,asIknewyouthen,Eventotheoriginalair-bluegown!Orisitonlythebreeze,initslistlessnessTravellingacrossthewetmeadtomehere,Youbeingeverdissolvedtowanwistlessness,Heardnomoreagainfarornear?ThusI;falteringforward,Leavesaroundmefalling,Windoozingthinthroughthethornfromnorward,Andthewomancalling.ThomasHardy(1840–1928)

AValedictionForbiddingMourning

Asvirtuousmenpassmildlyaway,Andwhispertotheirsoulstogo,WhilstsomeoftheirsadfriendsdosayThebreathgoesnow,andsomesay,No:Soletusmelt,andmakenonoise,Notear-floods,norsigh-tempestsmove;‘TwereprofanationofourjoysTotellthelaityourlove.Movingofth’earthbringsharmsandfears,Menreckonwhatitdid,andmeant;Buttrepidationofthespheres,Thoughgreaterfar,isinnocent.Dullsublunarylovers’love(Whosesoulissense)cannotadmitAbsence,becauseitdothremoveThosethingswhichelementedit.Butwebyalovesomuchrefined,Thatourselvesknownotwhatitis,Inter-assuredofthemind,Careless,eyes,lips,andhandstomiss.Ourtwosoulstherefore,whichareone,ThoughImustgo,endurenotyetAbreach,butanexpansion,Likegoldtoairythinnessbeat.Iftheybetwo,theyaretwosoAsstifftwincompassesaretwo;Thysoul,thefixedfoot,makesnoshowTomove,butdoth,iftheotherdo.Andthoughitinthecentersit,Yetwhentheotherfardothroam,Itleansandhearkensafterit,Andgrowserect,asthatcomeshome.Suchwiltthoubetome,whomust,Liketh’otherfoot,obliquelyrun;Thyfirmnessmakesmycirclejust,AndmakesmeendwhereIbegun.JohnDonne(1572–1631)

Remember

RemembermewhenIamgoneaway,Gonefarawayintothesilentland;Whenyoucannomoreholdmebythehand,NorIhalfturntogoyetturningstay.RemembermewhennomoredaybydayYoutellmeofourfuturethatyouplann'd:Onlyrememberme;youunderstandItwillbelatetocounselthenorpray.YetifyoushouldforgetmeforawhileAndafterwardsremember,donotgrieve:ForifthedarknessandcorruptionleaveAvestigeofthethoughtsthatonceIhad,BetterbyfaryoushouldforgetandsmileThanthatyoushouldrememberandbesad.ChristinaRossetti(1830-1894)MyGrave

If,whenIdie,Imustbeburied,letNocemeteryengulphme—nolonegrot,Wherethegreatpalpitatingworldcomesnot,Savewhen,withheartboweddownandeyelidswet,ItpaysitslastsadmelancholydebtTosomeoutjourneyingpilgrim.MaymylotBerathertolieinsomemuch-usedspot,Wherehumanlife,withallitsnoiseandfret,Throbsonaboutme.Lettherollofwheels,Withallearth’ssoundsofpleasure,commerce,love,Andrushofhurryingfeetsurgeo’ermyhead.EveninmygraveIshallbeonewhofeelsClosekinshipwiththepulsingworldabove;Andtoodeepsilencewoulddistressme,dead.EllaWheelerWilcox,(1850-1919)

Sometimes

Sometimesthingsdon’tgo,afterall,frombadtoworse.Someyears,muscadelfacesdownfrost;greenthrives;thecropsdon’tfail.Sometimesamanaimshigh,andallgoeswell.Apeoplesometimeswillstepbackfromwar,electanhonestman,decidetheycareenough,thattheycan’tleavesomestrangerpoor.Somemenbecomewhattheywerebornfor.Sometimesourbestintentionsdonotgoamiss;sometimeswedoaswemeantto.Thesunwillsometimesmeltafieldofsorrowthatseemedhardfrozen;mayithappenforyou.anon.IfeltaFuneral,inmyBrain,

IfeltaFuneral,inmyBrain,AndMournerstoandfroKepttreading-treading-tillitseemedThatSensewasbreakingthrough-Andwhentheyallwereseated,AService,likeaDrum-Keptbeating-beating-tillIthoughtMymindwasgoingnumb-AndthenIheardthemliftaBoxAndcreakacrossmySoulWiththosesameBootsofLead,again,ThenSpace-begantotoll,AsalltheHeavenswereaBell,AndBeing,butanEar,AndI,andSilence,somestrangeRace,Wrecked,solitary,here-AndthenaPlankinReason,broke,AndIdroppeddown,anddown-AndhitaWorld,ateveryplunge,AndFinishedknowing-then-EmilyDickinson(1830–1886)

THEPOEMSOFEMILYDICKINSON:READINGEDITION,editedbyRalphW.Franklin,Cambridge,Mass.:TheBelknapPressofHarvardUniversityPress,Copyright©1998,1999bythePresidentandFellowsofHarvardCollege.Copyright©1951,1955bythePresidentandFellowsofHarvardCollege.Copyright©renewed1979,1983bythePresidentandFellowsofHarvardCollege.Copyright©1914,1918,1919,1924,1929,1930,1932,1935,1937,1942byMarthaDickinsonBianchi.Copyright©1952,1957,1958,1963,1965byMaryL.Hampson.