The saddest noise, the sweetest noise,

The saddest noise, the sweetest noise,
The maddest noise that grows, —
The birds, they make it in the spring,
At night’s delicious close.

Between the March and April line —
That magical frontier
Beyond which summer hesitates,
Almost too heavenly near.

It makes us think of all the dead
That sauntered with us here,
By separation’s sorcery
Made cruelly more dear.

It makes us think of what we had,
And what we now deplore.
We almost wish those siren throats
Would go and sing no more.

An ear can break a human heart
As quickly as a spear,
We wish the ear had not a heart
So dangerously near.

Emily Dickinson

Nightingale

The saddest song, the sweetest song,
The maddest music that grows, —
The birds make sound in the spring,
At appealing dawn.

Between the March and April line —
That magical frontier
Beyond which summer hesitates,
Almost too heavenly near.

It makes us think of all the dead
That strolled with us here,
And made cruelly more dear
By separation’s sorcery.

It makes us think of what we had,
And what we now lament.
We almost wish those enchanting throats
Would go and sing no more.

A Song can break a human heart
As quickly as a spear,
We wish the song had not been heartfelt
So dangerously near.

* Nightingales were muses for the great poets of romantic school. Emily feels a strong sense of rivalry against the estheticism of romantic school. She has introduced a poor American robin and a Bobolink as new singers, utterly unknown in Europe. But she is enticed by nightingales as well as Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats, though she is rebellious and paradoxical.  She wishes those magical throats would sing no more. However this poem has in common with British romantics. She is the last “romantic”.

* Why nightingale? Notice on the last line of the first stanza, “At night’s delicious close.” It is critical. Nightingales’ habit is to sing at night, especially aloud at dawn.