the Balance

The title of this blog is from a poem by Emily Dickinson. Here is the full poem:

I prayed, at first, a little Girl,
Because they told me to --
But stopped, when qualified to guess
How prayer would feel -- to me --

If I believed God looked around,
Each time my Childish eye
Fixed full, and steady, on his own
In Childish honesty --

And told him what I'd like, today,
And parts of his far plan
That baffled me --
The mingled side
Of his Divinity --

And often since, in Danger,
I count the force 'twould be
To have a God so strong as that
To hold my life for me

Till I could take the Balance
That tips so frequent, now,
It takes me all the while to poise --
And then -- it doesn't stay --

She wrote this circa 1862. This is not to say that this blog is about God or religion or even poetry. This poem is just a marker of a significant time for me; it was the first poem I memorized, it was the first poem I can really, honestly say that I GOT, and it was the inspiration for my first and only 'A+' essay in English 310, a year-long honours seminar. It made me understand why Emily Dickinson is such a big deal, and convinced me that maybe I can do this literature thing. At least I can read and say interesting things about it, if not write any myself.

So this blog will be about my life, which means

1. my work towards an undergrad degree in Honours English
2. knitting
3. reading
4. occasionally trying to write (more sporadic ideas that go nowhere than fully formed work)

I hope you read and enjoy!