Emily Dickinson Lexicon

B,

Taken; [word play on receded] departing; dying; deteriorating; failing; expiring; fading; dwindling; subsiding; passing away. 1416/1365 Inquire of the proudest Rose / Which rapture – she preferred / [And she will point you fondly] / To her [Receipted Bud] receive (-d, -s, received, receiving), v. [OFr < L. re-, again + capěre, take.] (webplay: admit, believe, blessings, dead, faith, flower, grace, guest, holy, hope, place, seeds, spirit).

B,

Admit; allow to come in as a guest; grant entrance privileges to; [fig.] permit to enter a royal abode; allow to come into Heaven. 40/51 When I count the seeds … sown beneath … I con the people / Lain so low – / To be received as high … I believe the garden … Pick by faith it's blossom

B,

Lesson; task; assignment; [fig.] education; schooling; process of learning. 65/164 I cant tell you, but you feel it … Heaven's 'Peter Parley,' / By which Children – slow – / To sublimer Recitation – / Are prepared to go! recite (-d), v. [L. re-, again + citāre, move, excite, summon < cīre, set in motion, call.]

B,

Describe; relate; narrate; tell about; give an account of. 1176/1197 The Heroism we recite / would be a normal thing / Did not ourselves the Cubits warp reckon (-ed, -s), v. [OE < Germanic, perhaps < *reken-, clear, open, unobstructed.] (webplay: count, morning, relate, tell, time, year).

B,

Be defined; be delineated; be described. 826/812 Love reckons by itself – alone – / “As large as I” – relate the Sun … Itself is all the like it has recognition, n. [see recognize, v.] (webplay: God, known, witnessed).

B,

Sight; perception; awareness; notice; realization; consciousness; understanding. 925/841 Sun – withdrawn to Recognition … Neither witnessed Rise / Till the infinite Aurora recognize (-d, recognizing), v. [OFr < L. recognōscěre < re-, again + co-, together + (g)nōscěre, know.] (webplay: formerly, God, known, remembrance, saints).

B,

See; perceive; notice; realize; understand; be aware of; acknowledge the existence of. 537/631 Dost recognize the Love? … Remember – when the Sea / Swept by my searching eyes – the last

B,

Notice; perceive; see; become aware of; realize the existence of. 982/738 No Other can reduce Our / Mortal Consequence / Like the remembering it be Nought – / A Period from hence … Our Mutual Fame – that haply / Jehovah – recollect

B, [Fig.]

mind; thought; cognition; thought processes. 286/243 The very profile of the Thought / Puts Recollection numb

B,

Phrase. “On record”: in a written account; to the knowledge of humanity as a whole. 312/600 Silver perished with her tongue – / Not on Record bubbled Other – / Flute, or Woman, so divine … the tune – / Gushed record (-ed, -ing, -s), v. [OFr < L. re-, again + cor, heart.] (webplay: heart, historical, wind).

B,

Declare; announce; vow; swear; pledge; certify. 337/363 Summer … leads her Daisies back – / Recording briefly – “Lost” – // But when the South Wind stirs the Pools … Her Heart misgives Her recorded, verbal adj. [see record, v.] (webplay: heart, recite, sing, tune). Known; attested; documented; official; [fig.] actual; true; real. 14/5 One Sister have I in our house – / And one, a hedge away. / There's only one recorded … The other … Builded our hearts among. // She did not sing as we did – / It was a different tune recordless, adj. [see record, v.]

B,

Unproven by natural sciences; undocumented; [fig.] intangible; invisible; supernatural; unperceivable by physical senses. 298/303 The Hosts – do visit me – / Recordless Company – / Who baffle Key recount (-ing), v. [ONFr re-, again + conter, count < L. com-, together + putāre, think.] Remember; recall; recollect; describe; tell about; give an account of; relate a tale concerning; narrate past experience with. 1526/1562 He spends the evening … Recounting nectars he has known recover (-ed), v. [AFr < L. recuperāre, regain, recover, recuperate.]

B,

Return; restore; reinstate; change back. 1658/1688 Endanger it, and the Demand … Amazes … Recover it to nature / And … Find Consternation's carnival / Divested of it's meat recoverer, n. [see recover, v.] Restorer; one who reinstates; one who amends; one who makes restitution. 1358/1388 Ecstasy … Of her effacing Fathom / Is no Recoverer rectify (rectified), v. [Fr. < late L. rectus, right + -ficāre, make, produce.] (webplay: mistakes, sun's). Correct; justify; amend; make right; compensate for; atone for. 646/757 Certainties of Sun … What Plenty – it would be / Had all my Life but been Mistake / Just rectified – in Thee rectitude, n. [Fr. < late L. rect-us, straight.] Righteousness; goodness; virtue; integrity; piety; moral uprightness. 789/740 Though none be on our side – // Suffice us – for a Crowd – / Ourself – and Rectitude recurrent, adj. [L. re-, again + currěre, run.] (webplay: mind).

B,

Perennial; deciduous; capable of blooming year after year. 1422/1457 Forever is [recurrent] – / Except to those who die recusance, n. [L. recūsāre, refuse, make an objection.] Renunciation; denial; act of forsaking; refusal to be in attendance; failure to comply with the wishes of another; [fig.] rejection of mortal life; refusal to remain on earth at the request of loved ones. 1384/1406 'tis dead … Delights of Dust – / Remitted … In recusance august. red (-der, -dest), adj. [see red, n.] (webplay: berries, bird, blood, blossoms, cheeks, come, crimson, down, glow, hues, Red Sea, robin, summer, tree, vermilion, walk, whites).

B,

Fiery; blazing; flame-colored; glowing with a crimson hue [caused by the rising or setting sun.] 666/752 Sunset reviews Her Sapphire Regiments – / Day – drops You His Red Adieu

B,

Brilliantly; vividly; brightly; deeply scarlet; intensely crimson. 574/288 see the things … A'blossom … Summer deepened … She put some flowers away – / And Redder cheeked Ones – in their stead

B,

Deeply-saturated color [referring to light resulting from the rising or setting sun]; [fig.] beauty; majesty; brilliance; vividness; fire; flame; blaze; sunrise or sunset. 728/754 Dreams tint the Sleep – / Cunning Reds of Morning / Make the Blind – leap

B,

Rosy chest and abdomen feathers of a robin; [fig.] optimism; hope; cheerfulness; bright outlook. 250/270 I shall keep singing! / Birds will pass me … with a Robin's expectation – / I – with my Redbreast … when I take my place in summer redden, v. [see red, n.] (webplay: bright, rose, summer). Grow more scarlet; intensify in color; [fig.] mature; develop; ripen. 342/374 It will be Summer – eventually … Will tint the pallid landscape … a bright Boquet … The Wild Rose – redden in the Bog redeck (-ed), v. [L. re, again + Low Ger. < Germanic þakjan, cover, roof over.] Resume; don again; put on; [fig.] raise again; lift anew. 30/6 One little boat – o'erspent with gales / Retrimmed its masts – redecked its sails – / And shot – exultant on! redeem, v. [Fr. rédimer or L. rediměre, buy back.] (webplay: liberate, prisoners, world).

B,

Fulfill; bring forth; make real; cause to happen; perform what has been promised. 493/280 The World – stands – solemner … Since I was wed … the Dream – / Too beautiful – for … posture – to redeem! redeemed, adj. [see redeem, v.] (webplay: time, world). Immortal; heavenly; saved; ransomed; rescued from the sorrows of mortality. 717/496 The Beggar Lad – dies early … in the World … Among Redeemed Children … The Barefoot time forgotten redeemer (-'s), n. [see redeem, v.] (webplay: death, God's, love, mortal, price, right). Savior; Deliverer; Lord; Messiah; Master; God; Jesus Christ; Heavenly benefactor; one who pay a ransom for another; Supreme Being who atoned for the sins of mankind. 1260/1314 Death is Treason … The “Life that is to be” … too plain / Unless in my Redeemer's Face / I recognize your own … less priceless Friend – // If “God is Love” … He will refund us finally redemption, n. [see redeem, v.] (webplay: death, nature, paying, price, promise, violated).

B,

Resurrection; final absolution; deliverance of sinners from bondage through Jesus Christ's sacrifice. 503/378 When the Redemption strikes her Bells … Humming – for promise

B,

Shrink; lessen; grow smaller. 904/828 The need did not reduce … Proportioned to the chance

B, [Fig.]

difficulty; trial; tribulation; adversity; affliction. 313/283 The Reefs – in old Gethsemane – / Endear the Coast – beyond! reek (-s), [OE.] Fume; emit smoke; give off vapor. 1677v/1743v how red the Fire [reeks] below reel (-ing, -s), v. [possibly < OE hréol.] (webplay: drunken, turn).

B,

Whirl; wheel; dance; [fig.] fly with rapid motion of the wings. 500/370 Within my Garden, rides a Bird … his Fairy Gig / Reels in remoter atmospheres reeling, verbal adj. [see reel, v.] (webplay: drunken). Intoxicated; inebriated; delirious; staggering; stumbling; weaving; wobbling; moving unsteadily. 1466/1488 The reeling Oriole – // So drunk he disavows it re-endure, v. [see endure, v.] Relive; experience anew; suffer through a second time; go over in detail in the mind; [fig.] remember; recall; recollect; review; think back on; ponder in retrospect. 660/472 'Tis good – the looking back on Grief – / To re-endure a Day – / We thought the mighty Funeral – / Of all conceived Joy refer (-s), v. [OFr < L. re-, back + ferre, bear, carry.]

B,

Phrase. “Refer to”: mention; allude to; talk about; make reference to. 336/395 That – Sir – was my Degree – / In kingdoms – you have heard the Raised – / Refer to refine (refining), v. [L. re-, again + Fr. fin < L. fīnus, probably a back-formation from finire, finish.] (webplay: fine, fire, soul). Temper; remove impurities to make stronger; heat metal to burn away the dross; [fig.] sanctify; perfect; purify spiritually; improve the character of; make more patient and submissive. 365/401 Dare you see a Soul at the White Heat? … Red – is the Fire's common tint … finer Forge … within – / Refining these impatient Ores refined, verbal adj. [see refine, v.] Proper; polished; dignified; sophisticated; cultured; well-bred; genteel; lady-like; [fig.] prim; smug; self-righteous. 401/675 Such Dimity Convictions – / A horror so refined / Of freckled Human Nature reflection, n. [Fr. or Late L. re-, again + flectěre, bend.] Remembrance; recollection; retrospection; memory; pondering; deep thoughtfulness; review of the past. 1/1 Hast never … sad reflection, and wailing instead of song? reflex, adj. [L. reflex-us; see reflection, n.] (webplay: memory, thoughts). Reflective; retrospective; [fig.] contemplative; deliberative; meditative; full of memories; turning to the past; made more meaningful by recalling past events. 814/1110 Thanksgiving Day – / Celebrated part at Table / Part, in Memory … Seems it to my Hooded thinking / Reflex Holiday reform (-ed, -s), v. [OFr reformer or L. re-, again + formāre, form.] Change; alter; transform; transfigure; create anew. (1629/1636) 809/951 Unable they that love – to die / For Love reforms Vitality / Into Divinity. refract (-ed), v. [L. re-, again + frangěre, break.] Redirect; channel in a different direction. 707/779 The Grace – Myself – might not obtain – / Confer upon my flower – / Refracted but a Countenance – / For I – inhabit Her refrain (-s), n. [OFr refrein; see refract, v.] (webplay: path).

B,

Echo; [fig.] warm breezes; pleasant weather of Indian Summer; reminder of the past. 337/363 Summer … when the South Wind stirs the Pools … pours soft Refrains // Into the lap of Adamant