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Word Gems exploring self-realization, sacred personhood, and full humanity
Emily Dickinson The Heart asks Pleasure—first—
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
The Heart asks Pleasure—first—
And then—Excuse from Pain— And then—those little Anodynes That deaden suffering— And then—to go to sleep— And then—if it should be The will of its Inquisitor The privilege to die—
from https://poemanalysis.com/emily-dickinson/the-heart-asks-pleasure-first/ The poem begins with the speaker telling the reader that the first thing a heart wants is pleasure. It is the highest-ranked or most desirable state of being. But, there are other options too if pleasure is not available. Second, the heart would like to have “excuse from pain”. If there can’t be pleasure in one’s life, then at least it can be pain-free. This isn’t always the case though. One’s life might not be painless, but if they can have “little anodynes” or moments of relief from the pain, then that’s enough. They would “deaden suffering” a little. There are two more levels of happiness/unhappiness in the next stanza. Dickinson’s speaker says that if one’s life is filled with pain, and devoid of anodynes, then they should go to sleep. Last, if this isn’t possible, the sufferer should ask the “Inquisitor” [tormentor] to allow them to die.
"having power to relieve pain," 1540s, from Medieval Latin anodynus "pain-removing, allaying pain," from Latin anodynus "painless," from Greek anodynos "free from pain," from an- "without" (see an- (1)) + odyne "pain, torment" (of the body or mind), a word of uncertain origin, evidently Indo-European, but none of the proposed etymologies satisfies Beekes. Some suggest it is a suffixed form of PIE root *ed- "to eat" (compare Lithuanian edžioti "to devour, bite," edžiotis "to suffer pain"). As a noun, "substance which alleviates pain," 1540s; in old slang, frequently a euphemism for "death" (as the final relief from the mental pain or distress of life) as in anodyne necklace "hangman's noose." Related: Anodynous.
1775 poems
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