They Have a Little Odor That to Me
poem 785
They Have a Little Odor That to Me - meaning Summary
Melody in a Fading Scent
Dickinson observes an intangible "odor" she experiences as musical rather than merely scent. She calls it metre or melody, finding it most pungent as it fades. The final image, "a Habit of a Laureate," links that lingering, intensified quality to recognized poetic craft or its outward signs. The poem suggests how aesthetic qualities can grow sharper at their decline, marking the mannered presence of poetic distinction.
Read Complete AnalysesThey have a little Odor that to me Is metre nay ’tis melody And spiciest at fading indicate A Habit of a Laureate
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