Good morning,
I have an assignment interpret "Nature, The Gentlest Mother" by Emily Dickinson.
In think the poem talks about the beauty of nature. The peaceful and gentleness of nature has it own way to deal with everything - everything is treated equally and everything has its own rhythm that governs the never ending cycle of life.

Please help me out on interpreting this poem.
Thanks.

You might see the contrast in the poem between daytime and night. Day representing life. Night representing death. Nature comes with her golden finger, gold as in mature plants which turn that color before they die.

Yeah, but nature is not really the gentlest of mothers. Ask the fly being eaten by the spider, or the fawn suffocated by the tiger, for example. Her admonitions to the feeble child are full of anger, and she has no patience whatsoever with the weak.



Nature -- the Gentlest Mother is,
Impatient of no Child --
The feeblest -- or the waywardest --
Her Admonition mild --

In Forest -- and the Hill --
By Traveller -- be heard --
Restraining Rampant Squirrel --
Or too impetuous Bird --

How fair Her Conversation --
A Summer Afternoon --
Her Household -- Her Assembly --
And when the Sung go down --

Her Voice among the Aisles
Incite the timid prayer
Of the minutest Cricket --
The most unworthy Flower --

When all the Children sleep --
She turns as long away
As will suffice to light Her lamps --
Then bending from the Sky --

With infinite Affection --
And infiniter Care --
Her Golden finger on Her lip --
Wills Silence -- Everywhere --

Tanya, there is some background information here:

[www.baas.ac.uk]


Les

thank you guys and gals so much that was really quick!!

Les thank you so much that helped me out tremdously!!

You're welcome, Tanya.

Les