Observations placeholder
Dickinson, Emily - Cocoon above! Cocoon below, Stealthy cocoon, why hide you so
Identifier
000736
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Two related poems
A description of the experience
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson – Emily Dickinson
Cocoon above! Cocoon below!
Stealthy cocoon, why hide you so
That all the world suspect?
An hour, and gay on every tree
Your secret, perched in ecstasy
Defies imprisonment
An hour in chrysalis to pass,
Then gay above receding grass
A butterfly to go
A moment to interrogate
Then wiser than a surrogate
The universe to know
*****************************
He parts himself like leaves
And then he closes up
Then stands upon the bonnet
Of any buttercup
And then he runs against
And oversets a rose
And then does nothing
Then away upon a jib – he goes
And dangles like a Mote
Suspended in the noon
Uncertain to return below
Or settle in the moon
What come of him at night
The privilege to say
Be limited by ignorance
What come of him that day
The frost possess the world
In cabinets be shown
A sepulchre of quaintest floss
An abbey – a cocoon
The source of the experience
Dickinson, EmilyConcepts, symbols and science items
Concepts
Science Items
Activities and commonsteps
Activities
Overloads
GriefLead poisoning
Suppressions
Communing with natureInherited genes
Reducing threats