Determining the text of the poem
Dickinson used some many capital letters and so many dashes that editing her poems was a nightmare (to some it still is!). What is of particular interest is how various editors read her manuscript. Even the transcripts were apparently edited as to capitalization at the very least (see also , which typed in all caps!).
For a visual sense of the differences, I transcribed the same poem from various editions. They are presented side by side for comparison. You may also wish to view two versions side by side in larger type. If so, please select one of the compare options at the top of the file. Once inside the comparison file, see how many differences you can find or if you want, you may also choose to highlight the differences.
The following poems are presented:
- "I tie my Hat - I crease my Shawl"
Further Poems, 1929; New England Quarterly, 1947; T.H. Johnson; R.W. Franklin - "A still Volcano - life"
Further Poems, 1929; T.H. Johnson; R.W. Franklin - "A Pit - but Heaven over it"
Bolts of Melody; T.H. Johnson; R.W. Franklin