There’s a Certain Slant of Light
Hi all,
Yet another of the joys of having backyard feeders is the haunting beauty that goes with them.
A couple of mornings back, I stopped and looked at the feeders and was struck not so much by the birds, but by the light and shadow of the place. (I did my best to take a few pictures, but...)
Roughly 145 years ago, Emily Dickinson wrote the following piece (#258):
There's a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons --
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes --
Heavenly Hurt, it gives us --
We can find no scar,
But internal difference,
Where the Meanings, are --
None may teach it -- Any --
'Tis the Seal Despair --
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air --
When it comes, the Landscape listens --
Shadows -- hold their breath --
When it goes, 'tis like the Distance
On the look of Death --
A simple backyard... A few bird feeders... A lousy photographer... A poem out of time...
Still...
A certain slant of light...
See you by the feeder,
Alan
Yet another of the joys of having backyard feeders is the haunting beauty that goes with them.
A couple of mornings back, I stopped and looked at the feeders and was struck not so much by the birds, but by the light and shadow of the place. (I did my best to take a few pictures, but...)
Roughly 145 years ago, Emily Dickinson wrote the following piece (#258):
There's a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons --
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes --
Heavenly Hurt, it gives us --
We can find no scar,
But internal difference,
Where the Meanings, are --
None may teach it -- Any --
'Tis the Seal Despair --
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air --
When it comes, the Landscape listens --
Shadows -- hold their breath --
When it goes, 'tis like the Distance
On the look of Death --
A simple backyard... A few bird feeders... A lousy photographer... A poem out of time...
Still...
A certain slant of light...
See you by the feeder,
Alan
Comments
Your picture is as beautiful and elegant as her poetry.
Thanks for the lovely experience!
Posted by: Jo | November 21, 2006 4:19 PM
Hi Alan,
Great image of light and shadow on your backyard trees!
Excellent post!
kathryn
Posted by: kathryn | November 22, 2006 3:20 PM
Alan, that's a perfect selection of literature for that photo. Fits it quite suitably.
Posted by: Jen | December 4, 2006 3:24 PM