Fame is a Fickle Food
The home of Emily Dickinson, Courtesy of the Library of Congress
A native of Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) lived a rather secluded life. She attended Mounted Holyoke Seminary for women for one year before home sickness led her dropout. Dinkinson spent the remainder of her life living at home secretly writing poetry in seclusion. Her family knew nothing about her poetry until after her death in 1886. Thereafter a member of the family discovered 40 volumes of of books filled with 1800 poems. Her family published her first volume in 1890. I particularly like this poem in which she talks about fame relating it to food. When my children were young they would on occasion ask me if I was famous. I would reply famous is what others think about you and that changes from day to day.
Fame is a Fickle Food
Fame is a fickle food
Upon a shifting plate
Whose table once a
Guest but not
The second time is set.
Whose crumbs the crows inspect
And with ironic caw
Flap past it to the
Farmer's Corn --
Men eat of it and die.
