Textual Transmission of Dickinson Poems in The Youth's Companion

According to Johnson's variorum, the original MS of  this poem was sent as the concluding lines of a letter to Mary Channing Higginson, wife of Col. Thomas Higginson, in the spring of 1877.   A second holograph text of the poem,  now held in the Harvard University library, was sent to Ms. Jonathan F. Jenkins of Amherst, sometime in 1878 or 1879  (Johnson 958).    The poem was first published in October of 1894 in The Book Buyer (Third Series, Vol. XI, Oct. 1894), a publishing trade journal and literary magazine published by Charles Scribner's Sons, and edited by such figures as Frank N. Doubleday, E.M. Bok, and Edward L. Burlingame (Bibliography of 20th C. Periodicals -- notation forthcoming).     According to The Book Buyer, "They might not need me -- yet they might;" was submitted for publication by M.A. de Wolfe Howe, Jr., as part of a column entitled "Literary Affairs in Boston."

The poem was published again three years later in The Youth's Companion, LXXI (11 Nov. 1897),  568, submitted by Mabel Loomis Todd.    The text of that publication is replicated in this archive.  Evidently, the publishers of The Youth's Companion (as well as perhaps Todd) were unaware that this poem was previously published, as it was formatted in the manner consistent with "original" publications in the magazine, with the title in bold and Dickinson's name in small caps.

"Ready" was also reprinted in American Literature (Vol. XX, 1949), accompanied by "Nature's Way,"  "Fame," and "Spring's Orchestra."

The first print appearance of "A Nameless Rose" was in The Youth's Companion on December 24, 1891. Millicent Todd Bingham identifies the poem as being one of a group that her mother, Mabel Loomis Todd, brought on September 30, 1891, to Edward Stanwood, whom Bingham mistakenly labels the editor of The Youth's Companion (Daniel Sharp Ford actually was) (Ancestors' Brocades 158-59, f. 19). Although Bingham is not entirely clear on this transaction, the seven poems Stanwood chose on September 30, 1891, apparently were intended to replace an initial group that Todd writes of on June 16, 1891. Todd's journal entry records her having sent poems to The Youth's Companion and a number of other periodicals after "all the selection had been made for the second volume" (AB 131). The six poems originally sent to Stanwood apparently had to be withdrawn, however, when Todd discovered that five were supposed to be included in the forthcoming 1892 Poems (AB 158, f. 19). In recounting her mother's dealings with The Youth's Companion, Bingham reprints "A Nameless Rose" in a footnote along with "Autumn" and "In September," two other poems that she claims were not published elsewhere after their appearance in The Youth's Companion.

The poem next appears in Bolts of Melody (1945) in the "My Pageantry" section, which appears to be a seasonal collection that highlights garden changes. The book publishes poems that, according to Bingham, Todd had stored "in a camphor-wood chest" (vii) when she stopped working on Dickinson's writing after the publication in 1896 of Poems, third series. In "a volume of previously unpublished poems" (BM viii), "A Nameless Rose" stands out as one that actually had been published earlier, a fact conveyed by a footnote that Bingham attaches to the poem. In creating this edition, Bingham apparently worked both with manuscripts and with copies that her mother had made from manuscripts. As Bingham claims to have used the copies largely for those poems whose manuscripts Martha Dickinson Bianchi held (BM xi), she appears to have had the manuscript available when editing the text for this collection since this poem does not appear in any Bianchi editions.

Hereafter, the poem appears first in Johnson's variorum edition of Dickinson's poetry (1955), which prints "two fair copies, identical in text" (c. 1858 and 1860). Although the poems' linguistic codes are identical, there are are variants in punctuation, capitalization, and lineation. Johnson prints both versions, then, but subordinates the 1860 text by printing it in significantly smaller font. This subordination is repeated in Johnson's reader's edition (1960), which reprints his transcription of the 1858 text with the single change of removing the apostrophe that Dickinson includes in "it's." The Collation of Witnesses in the Critically-Edited Text of this poem shows the variants between these printed editions.

The first printed version of  "She died -- this was the way she died" appeared titled "Vanished" in the August 25, 1892 issue of The Youth's Companion.  Originally submitted for publication by Mabel Loomis Todd in May or June of 1891, along with "Simplicity," "Hope," "Saturday," "The Storm," and "Old-fashioned" (Ancestor's Brocades, p. 158), it was withdrawn when Todd discovered that it was to be included (along with all the poems above except "Saturday") in her forthcoming 1891 Poems (AB, 158).   

According to Bingham, Todd brought a new series of poems to Edward Stanwood of The Youth's Companion on Sept. 30, 1891, apparently to replace her earlier submission, for which she had already received payment (AB, 158).   During this transaction "Vanished" was selected for publication, despite its inclusion in 1891 Poems.      

The Youth's Companion, however, does not seem to acknowledge that "Vanished" appeared in print prior to its inclusion in the August 25, 1892 Companion.     The poem bears the header "For the Companion," which the editors used to signal a first printing in The Companion.

Subsequent printings of this poem include Johnson's 1955 variorum and 1960 reader's editions.  The Collation of Witnesses in the Critically-Edited Text of this poem shows the variants between all known printed editions.

"The name of it is autumn" first appeared in print in the September 8, 1892, issue of The Youth's Companion, titled "Autumn."  The poem, according to Millicent Todd Bingham, was one of a group that her mother, Mabel Loomis Todd, brought on September 30, 1891, to Edward Stanwood of The Youth's Companion (Ancestors' Brocades 158-59, f. 19).  Although Bingham is not entirely clear on this transaction, the seven poems Stanwood chose on September 30, 1891, apparently were intended to replace an initial group that Todd writes of on June 16, 1891. Todd's journal entry records her having sent poems to The Youth's Companion and a number of other periodicals after "all the selection had been made for the second volume" (AB 131). The six poems originally sent to Stanwood apparently had to be withdrawn, however, when Todd discovered that five were supposed to be included in the forthcoming 1892 Poems (AB 158, f. 19). In recounting her mother's dealings with The Youth's Companion, Bingham reprints "Autumn" in a footnote along with "In September" and "A Nameless Rose," two other poems that were not published elsewhere after their appearance in The Youth's Companion.

The poem next appears in Bolts of Melody (1945) in a section titled "The Round Year," where Bingham collects seasonal poems from the Dickinson poems with which she worked. The book publishes poems that, according to Bingham, Todd had stored "in a camphor-wood chest" (vii) when she stopped working on Dickinson's writing after the publication in 1896 of Poems, third series. In "a volume of previously unpublished poems" (BM viii), "Autumn" stands out with other Youth's Companion poems as one that actually had been published earlier, a fact conveyed by a footnote that Bingham attaches to the poem. In creating this edition, Bingham apparently worked both with manuscripts and with copies that her mother had made from manuscripts. As Bingham claims to have used the copies largely for those poems whose manuscripts Martha Dickinson Bianchi held (BM xi), I have concluded that she at least had the manuscript available when editing the text for this collection since this poem does not appear in any Bianchi editions.

Hereafter, the poem appears first in Johnson's variorum edition of Dickinson's poetry (1955) and next in his reader's edition (1960). The Collation of Witnesses in the Critically-Edited Text of this poem shows the variants between these printed editions.

"From all the jails the Boys and Girls" appeared in the September 22, 1892 issue (LXV, p. 468) of The Youth's Companion.     This poem was the only work included in Mabel Loomis Todd's initial submission to The Companion  (consisting of  "Simplicity," "Hope," "Saturday," "Vanished," "The Storm," and "Old-fashioned") that was not included in the 1891 Poems (AB 158).   In light of this discovery,  Todd withdrew these poems, except presumably "Saturday," from consideration for publication. 

According to Millicent Todd Bingham, Todd brought a new series of poems to Edward Stanwood of The Youth's Companion on Sept. 30, 1891, apparently to replace her earlier submission, for which she had already received payment (AB, 158).    During this transaction "Saturday" and "Vanished" were selected for publication, the latter despite its inclusion in 1891 Poems.   See textual transmission of "Vanished" for more information.    

Subsequently, "From all the Jails the Boys and Girls"  appeared in Todd's 1896 Poems, as well as the 1955 Johnson variorum and 1960 reader's editions.   The Collation of Witnesses in the Critically-Edited Text of this poem shows the variants between these printed editions.

"I'm the little heart's-ease!" first appeared in print as "Heart's-Ease" with another Dickinson poem, "My Little King," in the May 18, 1893, Youth's Companion. The poem, according to Millicent Todd Bingham, was one of a group that her mother, Mabel Loomis Todd, brought on September 30, 1891, to Edward Stanwood.   Although Bingham is not entirely clear on this transaction, the seven poems Stanwood chose on September 30, 1891, apparently were intended to replace an initial group that Todd writes of on June 16, 1891. Todd's journal entry records her having sent poems to The Youth's Companion and a number of other periodicals after "all the selection had been made for the second volume" (AB 131). The six poems originally sent to Stanwood apparently had to be withdrawn, however, when Todd discovered that five were supposed to be included in the forthcoming 1892 Poems (AB 158, f. 19).

The poem next appears in Further Poems of Emily Dickinson: Withheld from Publication by Her Sister Lavinia (1929). The book's editors, Martha Dickinson Bianchi (Dickinson's niece) and Alfred Leete Hampson, say nothing about their editorial principles but do tell something about the source for the texts therein. The introduction describes how a "little, unexplored package gave up these poems of Emily Dickinson which her sister, Lavinia, saw fit never to publish, . . . ." and recognizes that the poems might have been "intended for another volume in the series already published" (v). Statements by Bingham in Ancestors' Brocades and Bolts of Melody suggest further that Bianchi and Hampson created the book from manuscripts returned by Todd to Lavinia Dickinson after relations between the two had broken down.

Hereafter, the poem appears first in Johnson's variorum edition of Dickinson's poetry (1955) and next in his reader's edition (1960). The Collation of Witnesses in the Critically-Edited Text of this poem shows the variants between these printed editions.

"Were nature mortal lady" appeared in the January 20, 1898 issue of  The Youth's Companion (Vol. LXXII, p. 36).   According to Johnson, there is no extant autograph of this poem (Johnson, 1078).   All subsequent printings derive from The Youth's Companion text, including the reprint in American Literature  (Vol. XX (1949), p. 438)  and Johnson's 1955 variorum and 1960 reader's editions.   The Collation of Witnesses in the Critically-Edited Text of this poem shows the variants between these printed editions.

"I met a king this afternoon;" first appeared in print in The Youth's Companion on May 18, 1893. The poem, titled "My Little King," was printed with another Dickinson poem, therein titled "Heart's-Ease." According to Millicent Todd Bingham, "I met a king this afternoon" was one of a group that her mother, Mabel Loomis Todd, brought on September 30, 1891, to Edward Stanwood of The Youth's Companion  (Ancestors' Brocades 158-59, f. 19). Although Bingham is not entirely clear on this transaction, the seven poems Stanwood chose on September 30, 1891, apparently were intended to replace an initial group that Todd writes of on June 16, 1891. Todd's journal entry records her having sent poems to The Youth's Companion and a number of other periodicals after "all the selection had been made for the second volume" (Ancestors' Brocades 131). The six poems originally sent to Stanwood apparently had to be withdrawn, however, when Todd discovered that five were supposed to be included in the forthcoming 1892 Poems (Ancestors' Brocades 158, f. 19). By not reprinting "My Little King" in Ancestors' Brocades, Bingham implies that the poem was published elsewhere after its appearance in The Youth's Companion.

The poem next appears in Bolts of Melody (1945), the only Youth's Companion poem in the section titled "Once a Child." The book publishes poems that, according to Bingham, Todd had stored "in a camphor-wood chest" (vii) when she stopped working on Dickinson's writing after the publication in 1896 of Poems, third series. In "a volume of previously unpublished poems" (BM viii), "My Little King" stands out with the other Youth's Companion poems as one that actually had been published earlier, a fact conveyed by a footnote that Bingham attaches to the poem. In creating this edition, Bingham apparently worked both with manuscripts and with copies that her mother had made from manuscripts. As Bingham claims to have used the copies largely for those poems whose manuscripts Martha Dickinson Bianchi held (BM xi), she apparently had the manuscript available when editing the text for this collection since this poem does not appear in any Bianchi editions.

Hereafter, the poem appears first in Johnson's variorum edition of Dickinson's poetry (1955) and next in his reader's edition (1960). The Collation of Witnesses in the Critically-Edited Text of this poem shows the variants between these printed editions.

"September's" first appeared in print in The Youth's Companion on September 29, 1892, as "In September." The poem, according to Millicent Todd Bingham, was one of a group that her mother, Mabel Loomis Todd, brought on September 30, 1891, to Edward Stanwood, whom Bingham mistakenly labels the editor of The Youth's Companion (Daniel Sharp Ford actually was) (Ancestors' Brocades 158-59, f. 19). Although Bingham is not entirely clear on this transaction, the seven poems Stanwood chose on September 30, 1891, apparently were intended to replace an initial group that Todd writes of on June 16, 1891. Todd's journal entry records her having sent poems to The Youth's Companion and a number of other periodicals after "all the selection had been made for the second volume" (AB 131). The six poems originally sent to Stanwood apparently had to be withdrawn, however, when Todd discovered that five were supposed to be included in the forthcoming 1892 Poems (AB 158, f. 19). In recounting her mother's dealings with The Youth's Companion, Bingham reprints "In September" in a footnote along with two other poems that were not published elsewhere after their appearance in The Youth's Companion.

The poem next appears in Bolts of Melody (1945) in a section titled "The Round Year," where Bingham collects seasonal poems from the Dickinson poems with which she worked. The book publishes poems that, according to Bingham, Todd had stored "in a camphor-wood chest" (vii) when she stopped working on Dickinson's writing after the publication in 1896 of Poems, third series. In "a volume of previously unpublished poems" (BM viii), "September's Baccalaureate" stands out as one that actually had been published earlier, a fact conveyed by a footnote that Bingham attaches to the poem. In creating this edition, Bingham apparently worked both with manuscripts and with copies that her mother had made from manuscripts. As Bingham claims to have used the copies largely for those poems whose manuscripts Martha Dickinson Bianchi held (BM xi), she appears to have had the manuscript available when editing the text for this collection since this poem does not appear in any Bianchi editions.

Hereafter, the poem appears first in Johnson's variorum edition of Dickinson's poetry (1955) and next in his reader's edition (1960). Although Johnson works from the manuscript in both cases, he only attempts to adhere to the mechanics of the manuscript and completely ignores the poem's line breaks. The Collation of Witnesses in the Critically-Edited Text of this poem shows the variants between these printed editions.

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