Human Nature's West
by Robert W. Watson
(11 May 2001)

    When I first read some poetry by Emily Dickinson, I thought it much like the first taste of green olives--I had no taste for it. However, after awhile, I cultivated a taste for both green olives and Dickinson's poems. Perhaps no one will ever be able to boast that he fully understands Dickinson. However, the major key to coming close to an understanding of her poetry is the fact that Dickinson never intended her poetry to be published. While it is true that she occasionally wrote poetry that accompanied many of her letters to friends, Dickinson anticipated only an audience of one: herself. Therefore, the poems offer a rare glimpse of human thinking that is uninhibited by publishing deadlines, literary critics, and fickle readers.

    Even though she was a recluse, Dickinson was much aware of the outside world, particularly of the beauty in nature. Her poetry often reflects upon the great themes of life: love and death. To Dickinson, all subjects deserved scrutiny and were worthy of refection. Much like the poetry of the Hebrews, Dickinson does not rely so much on sounds and rhythm, but on thought-rhymes. In other words, the thoughts in the poem help to either support, contrast, or develop the central idea. On the surface, Dickinson's poems seem shallow. But most of her poems are rich with meaning if one will meditate on her verse. The following poem is a good example:

            "Look back on time with kindly eyes,
        He doubtless did his best;
        How softly sinks his trembling sun
        In human nature's west!"

    Dickinson reminds herself about the nature of time. Any failings in one's life cannot be blamed on time, since "doubtless" he did his best. Time is constant, operates under fixed laws, and is ever moving in one direction. Therefore, time is predictable, thus contrasting the nature of time with the nature of humans, which is quite unpredictable.

    Because of this fickleness, Dickinson understands well the nature of humans. First, we have a propensity to be bitter about life. However, now knowing about the constancy of time, we have no excuse to be bitter since ultimately we decide what we do with our time. But perhaps there is another meaning here. It is uncanny how we seem to remember only the happy times of the past and only vaguely recall any failures and heartaches. For this we look back on time with "kindly eyes." So, here "look back" means a reflection of the past.

    Nevertheless, as humans, we tend to think that we are destined to walk in the wrong direction in life. We often believe that we were not given the proper breaks, were not as lucky as others, or were unable to meet the right people. Here "look back" suggests a traveler walking east, stopping, turning, and watching the sun slowly set in the west. With the dying of the day and at the end of our journey, we see only our "human nature's west"--death. So, while looking back on our past life can be pleasant and we can look on time with "kindly eyes," our looking back toward the west only offers a future that will end with the setting of the "trembling sun."

    But oddly, Dickinson's poem offers joy to the Christian. While Christians may walk contrary to the direction of this world, our redemption comes from the east. Thus, even though we may look back and only see death, we can look forward to a blessed hope--the resurrection of the body, which is contrary to "human nature's west."