Knows how to forget! by Emily Dickinson

Умеет как забыть! Чем то научит?
Легчайший навык, мол, изучишь коль...
Корпя, немелые мертвели души,
хоть для наук не внове жертвы боль...

Я класс прошла, не став разумней -
ни логарифм, ни глобус впрок...
"Как позабыть!" Мудрец, разжуй мне!
Чтоб, начитавшись, внять урок!

То в книге? Так могла купить бы...
То как планета? Телескоп,- взглянуть...
Раз открывали, способ ведом.
Равви Библейский, знаешь путь?





[Ruth Miller makes the general point that Emily occasionally
writes a poem as a response to something which she has read,
and suggests that this poem was written to show her disagreement
with Thomas Browne’s assertion that we do have the ability to
forget. Browne had written, ‘To be ignorant of evils to come,
and forgetful of evils past, is a merciful provision in nature…..
whereby our sorrows are not kept raw by the edge of repetitions.’
But Emily, as was seen in poem 203, does not forget, and she
begins this poem by asking if Browne’s book, which says it
‘knows how to forget’ could also ‘teach it’ to others. Then
follows a list of other possible teachers or methods of acquiring
forgetfulness, but Emily implies that none of them help her
to forget, not even Jesus, the ‘Rabbi of the Wise Book.’
For the last two lines of the poem, although wistful and
tender, still expect the answer ‘No.’
If this poem was written during the same days
as poems 434 and 438, it looks as though what
Emily found hard to forget was her love for Sue.]

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Knows how to forget! by Emily Dickinson

Knows how to forget! But could It teach it? 
Easiest of Arts, they say When one learn how
Dull Hearts have died In the Acquisition
Sacrifice for Science Is common, though, now —

I went to School But was not wiser   
Globe did not teach it Nor Logarithm Show   
"How to forget"! Say — some — Philosopher!
Ah, to be erudite Enough to know!

Is it in a Book? So, I could buy it —
Is it like a Planet? Telescopes would know —
If it be invention It must have a Patent.
Rabbi of the Wise Book Don't you know?