Question

questions

1. like its first metaphor, this poem is a riddle to be solved by identifying the literal terms of its metaphors. after you have identified the speaker (

iddle,\ \elephant,\ \house,\ \melon,\ \stage,\ \cow\), identify the literal meanings of the related metaphors (\syllables,\ \tendrils,\ \fruit,\ \ivory,\ \timbers,\ \loaf,\ \yeasty ring,\ \money,\ \purse,\ \train\). how do you interpret line 8?

1. how does the form of the poem relate to its content? is this poem a complaint?

i taste a liquor never brewed
i taste a liquor never brewed—
from tankards scooped in pearl—
not all the vats upon the rhine
yield such an alcohol!
inebriate of air—am i—
and debauchee of dew—
reeling—thro endless summer days—
from inns of molten blue—
when \landlords\ turn the drunken bee
out of the foxglove’s door—
when butterflies—renounce their \drams\—
i shall but drink the more!
till seraphs swing their snowy hats—
and saints—to windows run—
to see the little tippler
leaning against the—sun—
—emily dickinson (1830 - 1886)
questions

1. vocabulary: debauchee (6), foxglove (10).
2. in this extended metaphor, what is being compared to alcoholic intoxication? the clues are given in the variety of \liquors\ named or implied—\air\ (5), \dew\ (7), and the nectar upon which bees and butterflies feed.
3. what figurative meanings have the following details: \tankards scooped in pearl\ (2), \inns of molten blue\ (8), \snowy hats\ (13)?
4. the last stanza creates a stereotypical street scene in which neighbors observe the behavior of a drunkard. what do comic drunks lean against in the street? what unexpected attitude do the seraphs and saints display?

Explanation:

1. Debauchee: A person who lives a self - indulgent and immoral life, often associated with excessive pleasure - seeking. In the poem, it emphasizes the speaker's indulgence in the natural 'intoxicants'. Foxglove: A type of flowering plant. In the poem, it serves as the 'dwelling' from which the bee is turned out, adding to the whimsical and metaphorical nature of the scene.
2. The poem compares the speaker's experience of nature (air, dew, and the nectar that bees and butterflies feed on) to alcoholic intoxication. The 'liquors' are the joys and sensations derived from nature.
3. "Tankards scooped in Pearl" implies vessels of great beauty and value, suggesting the high quality of the natural 'drink'. "Inns of Molten Blue" likely refers to the blue sky, seen as places where the speaker 'drinks' in the beauty of nature. "Snowy Hats" could represent the white clouds or the white - robed figures of seraphs, adding a celestial and whimsical touch.
4. The seraphs and saints display a curious and perhaps amused attitude as they observe the speaker (the 'little Tippler'). Instead of condemnation, there is a sense of light - hearted interest in the speaker's 'drunken' state in relation to nature.

Answer:

1. Debauchee: A self - indulgent pleasure - seeker. Foxglove: A flowering plant.
2. The experience of nature (air, dew, nectar) is compared to alcoholic intoxication.
3. "Tankards scooped in Pearl": Beautiful and valuable vessels for natural 'drink'. "Inns of Molten Blue": The blue sky as a place to 'drink' nature. "Snowy Hats": White clouds or seraphs' white robes.
4. A curious and amused attitude.