Emily Dickinson Lexicon

beam, n. [OE 'tree, plank'.] (webplay: bears, day, head, steel, straight, together, wind).

1. Rafter; joist; timber; weight-bearing wooden support piece in a building; (see 1 Kings 6:9).
2. Bar; rail; fence crosspiece; horizontal wooden shaft.
3. Log; tree trunk; thick piece of timber; (see Matthew 7:4-5).
4. Ray; beacon of light from the sun; [fig.] illumination; guidance.