Much madness is Divinest Sense

This small poem puts forth an interesting question regarding abnormal behavior. The poem is a lament about how ab'normal', defined as anything 'away from normal' becomes problematic, when normality is often majoritarian. What is normal for the spider, might be chaos for the fly. Besides, "Normality is a paved road: It's comfortable to walk, but…

The Heart asks pleasure first

Echoing the Freudian will to pleasure and idea of pain avoidance, this poignant piece reflects on heart's perilous pursuit of pleasure. It chronologically or preferentially, (due to the ambiguity of the term "first") asks for pleasure, pain avoidance, methods to fight the pain, unconsciousness and finally death. It seems like a deep sorrow is embedded…

Soul wilt thou toss again?

This is a poem that opens with a problem to solve, a decision to make. It is a gamble. The gamble could be a decision between good and bad. Or perhaps, even beyond that. But is it worth the risk? Less likely. The chance for a win is quite narrow. The angels are breathless in…

Success is counted sweetest

From the Genesis story to Freudian ego defense mechanisms, themes of resentment and the curiosity that glorifies the unknown has been the oomph of the stories we tell. This oomph oozes out of a culture where material success is the measure of a man. Emily dissolves the same oomph into her verses. This is a…

Our share of night to bear

This is a poem of radical acceptance. The poet opens before the reader the intricate interplay of fatalistic determinism and freewill, a tug of war that stretches till date in Philosophy and Behavioral Sciences, by revealing how we all will have our share of good times and bad, and how we have blank pages to…

This is my letter to the world

This poem, is a poignant portrait of a longing for human connection and the frustration of being ignored, echoed in ignored missed calls, in texts or letters that never got a reply. Though silence soothes, the space it brings is ample enough for misunderstandings. Hence the poet declares to the World that includes you and me, that she…

A Precious ,mouldering pleasure’t is

This is a rather long poem from Emily's collection, wistful with her enchantment, devotion for the world of books. Here, she speaks for the ageless bibliophile. It's refined eroticism is a nod to sapiosexuality at its finest. A book is personified as a man in "just" the dress his century wore (togas perhaps). Meeting him…