Digital emily dickinson- Reconciling mediums of presentation
The Emily Dickinson Archive states:
‘This site is not a new edition of Dickinson’s poems. [...] It should be viewed as a resource from which scholarship can be produced, rather than a work of scholarship itself.’ (1)
We question this definition of the Archives’ purpose, placing digital resources primary focus on academic scholarship while leaving printed editions unmentioned as academia’s end product. In digitising Dickinson's poetry, then, the reconcilement between edited, printed books and the extensive information in digitised archives is the central issue. The first creates easy accessibility to Dickinson's poetry; a book is selectively edited for the reader, allowing for immediate engagement. In the second, digital environment, the reader can sift through a broader scope of editions and original manuscripts, having to work independently as scholars. This essay will argue that digitising Dickinson’s poetry, while imperfect, can potentially give a new level of accessibility, reconciling this division between edited editions and digital archives. To demonstrate this, we will use Dickinson's poem A Little East of Jordan (2) in a website prototype (3) as a vehicle for questioning the above definition’s validity. For example, by exploring the aesthetics of website designs and the importance of editorial decisions, we aim to offer the best fit between two previously divided methods of engaging with Dickinson's poetry.
The alterations between J59 and F145A (4) of A Little East [Over] of Jordan both demonstrate the importance of a reader's access to these variations, as well as the complexities embedded in Dickinson’s poetry. In F145A, the speaker states ‘Genesis record’ (l. 2), while J59 states ‘Evangelists record’ (l. 2). The former implies a formal record in the Bible, an authoritative religious text, while the latter refers to the Gospel writers themselves (5), introducing a level of ambiguity concerning the source text’s authority. Because the alteration of a single word destabilises the authority from which the poem draws the Biblical narrative, the two versions of the poem have a sense of distance between them. However, both versions retain a sense of irony, as while they present Genesis and Evangelists as narrators, it is the speaker that narrates the Biblical tale. Dickinson creates this narrative “space” between the speaker and the authority the poem draws from allowing her not merely to create a narrative but questions the nature of the narrative itself. Hence, the variations of Dickinson’s poetry highlight her elaborate questioning of the narrative form itself, making the variations significant to the reader’s engagement with the work.
Relating to digitisation then, just as Dickinson creates narrative “space”, digital collections should create space for her poems and their various editions but also question the importance and validity of the variations themselves. Cole states,
The alterations between J59 and F145A (4) of A Little East [Over] of Jordan both demonstrate the importance of a reader's access to these variations, as well as the complexities embedded in Dickinson’s poetry. In F145A, the speaker states ‘Genesis record’ (l. 2), while J59 states ‘Evangelists record’ (l. 2). The former implies a formal record in the Bible, an authoritative religious text, while the latter refers to the Gospel writers themselves (5), introducing a level of ambiguity concerning the source text’s authority. Because the alteration of a single word destabilises the authority from which the poem draws the Biblical narrative, the two versions of the poem have a sense of distance between them. However, both versions retain a sense of irony, as while they present Genesis and Evangelists as narrators, it is the speaker that narrates the Biblical tale. Dickinson creates this narrative “space” between the speaker and the authority the poem draws from allowing her not merely to create a narrative but questions the nature of the narrative itself. Hence, the variations of Dickinson’s poetry highlight her elaborate questioning of the narrative form itself, making the variations significant to the reader’s engagement with the work.
Relating to digitisation then, just as Dickinson creates narrative “space”, digital collections should create space for her poems and their various editions but also question the importance and validity of the variations themselves. Cole states,
‘the flexibility of presentation afforded by digital editions has allowed us to see how texts come into being through sometimes convoluted processes of revision’. (6)
We agree with Cole that digital collections are distinctive in their ability to demonstrate a text’s progression through variations in one platform, a feature that is lacking in printed books as editors make those decisions for the reader. Just as Dickinson creates space for a questioning of the process itself, we included the different editions of the poems in our website and a 300-word introduction, highlighting some principal differences to the reader. Simultaneously, this addresses the concern that digital resources lack a scholarly editor (7), as by adding this short introductory passage the website is ‘a work of scholarship itself’ and a gateway for scholarly exploration. Thereby this feature begins to bridge the gap between the scholarly archive resource and printed edited collections of Dickinson’s work. So, by including introductory passages and enabling the reader to view multiple versions, we think that there can be greater engagement with Dickinson’s intricate work.
Additionally, there needs to be a recognition that, just as Jacob and the angel are strangers, we too are strangers to Dickinson as her poetry remained mostly unpublished in her lifetime, creating a gap between poet, poetry and reader. The website’s introduction to A Little East of Jordan highlights Genesis 32 (8) as crucial with the Biblical allusion referring to Jacob and the angel fighting at night, underscoring their bizarre intimate distance. They are physically intertwined in ‘wrestl[ing]’ (l. 4), yet for the poem’s majority, they remain ‘stranger[s]’ (l. 12) to one another. The physical nighttime darkness indicates their mental absence of knowing the other's identity until the ‘Light swung’ (l. 13), illuminating them at sunrise. The verb ‘swung’ here gives this identity illumination a dynamic impact as a momentous force, reflecting Jacobs ‘bewildered’ (l. 15) response. Much like this relationship, where the two figures remain strangers, we too are strangers to Dickinson. By this, we mean Dickinson’s
Additionally, there needs to be a recognition that, just as Jacob and the angel are strangers, we too are strangers to Dickinson as her poetry remained mostly unpublished in her lifetime, creating a gap between poet, poetry and reader. The website’s introduction to A Little East of Jordan highlights Genesis 32 (8) as crucial with the Biblical allusion referring to Jacob and the angel fighting at night, underscoring their bizarre intimate distance. They are physically intertwined in ‘wrestl[ing]’ (l. 4), yet for the poem’s majority, they remain ‘stranger[s]’ (l. 12) to one another. The physical nighttime darkness indicates their mental absence of knowing the other's identity until the ‘Light swung’ (l. 13), illuminating them at sunrise. The verb ‘swung’ here gives this identity illumination a dynamic impact as a momentous force, reflecting Jacobs ‘bewildered’ (l. 15) response. Much like this relationship, where the two figures remain strangers, we too are strangers to Dickinson. By this, we mean Dickinson’s
‘textual medium is created in treating the writing process as an end in itself’ (Conti, p. 224).
Dickinson’s poetry was private, sharing few works publicly in her life, unlike her counterpart Whitman who was public and outward-looking (9). The editing and publication process has come after her, leaving Dickinson’s original writing process in manuscripts to be her poems only communication medium. So, all reproductions, material or digital, face the issue of how best to present Dickinson’s poetry, because ultimately there will always be a gap between reader and poetry. While we have Dickinson’s raw materials, every printed edition or electronic copy will always have to approach her poetry in individual ways. Ultimately, we are all strangers to Dickinson, we are all attempting to understand her work as thoroughly as possible with the resources we have, just as A Little East of Jordan strives to comprehend the conflict between the human and divine (10). In the case of our website, we place the power in the reader's hand, giving them the information and allowing them to engage in a discussion. We chose to include short introductions and a space for comments to open a dialogue rather than to instruct readers. This digital resource then highlights points of interest through each poems introduction, allowing for the editorial aspect of material editions to be retained, while maximising the volume of information in digital platforms and readers comments in the hopes of understanding Dickinson in the fullest way possible. Hence, in striving to understand Dickinson’s work, and in the limitations of each medium that represents her, the useful aspects of each medium need to be combined to create the most accessible, comprehensive resource possible.
Further significant issues faced in digitising Dickinson’s poems is that books offer a sense of permanence in comparison to a website continually being updated (11) and that books are more visually appealing compared to inelegant website designs (Cole, p. 153). In the first objection’s case, we agree that books do offer some sense of permanence and the ability to remain fixed in collections. As a part of this then, printed books provide a level of random accessibility, in that anyone can pick up an edition of Dickinson’s poems on a random page, begin reading and become engaged. Our website offers two features to address this issue. The first is a “random poem generator”, a button on the front page that will take you to a different poem in the collection every time you click it. The second is to create a set of short, theme-based collections, available online and through downloadable PDF’s. The idea for both of these is that they would act as entry points for those new to Dickinson’s poetry. Additionally, we have made the website as aesthetically appealing as possible, using artwork inspired by or relating to Dickinson’s poetry to make the links to the poems individually engaging, introducing a further medium for exploring Dickinson’s poetry. So, many of the primary objections to digitising Dickinson can be addressed or compensated for through technology.
Overall, our website prototype has attempted to bridge the gap between the scholarly material prints and digitally comprehensive archives. Using A Little East of Jordan as a vehicle for exploring some of these difficulties, we have looked at some of the positive and negative aspects of digitisation. We think that studying Dickinson’s work on a digital platform can encompass many of the elements from physical copies while offering new pathways for engagement by allowing people to comment on their reading, and explore her complete works by theme or at random. Dickinson characteristically provides space for questioning her subject matter by leaving gaps between the reader and the writer, the speaker and the subject matter. Equally, we have found that research into digitisation distinguishes a gap between the material and digital, always treating them separate mediums. We think that digitisation should not seek to fill these gaps through superfluous information or limit the reader’s material by carefully selecting it. Books cannot replace archives and vice versa, but their limits must be recognised, our website included so that they can be improved. Rather than restriction or superabundance then, we have placed the focus upon these gaps, both within and concerning the poetry as well as the medium presenting the poetry itself, as a way of addressing Dickinson’s poetry between two mediums.
Further significant issues faced in digitising Dickinson’s poems is that books offer a sense of permanence in comparison to a website continually being updated (11) and that books are more visually appealing compared to inelegant website designs (Cole, p. 153). In the first objection’s case, we agree that books do offer some sense of permanence and the ability to remain fixed in collections. As a part of this then, printed books provide a level of random accessibility, in that anyone can pick up an edition of Dickinson’s poems on a random page, begin reading and become engaged. Our website offers two features to address this issue. The first is a “random poem generator”, a button on the front page that will take you to a different poem in the collection every time you click it. The second is to create a set of short, theme-based collections, available online and through downloadable PDF’s. The idea for both of these is that they would act as entry points for those new to Dickinson’s poetry. Additionally, we have made the website as aesthetically appealing as possible, using artwork inspired by or relating to Dickinson’s poetry to make the links to the poems individually engaging, introducing a further medium for exploring Dickinson’s poetry. So, many of the primary objections to digitising Dickinson can be addressed or compensated for through technology.
Overall, our website prototype has attempted to bridge the gap between the scholarly material prints and digitally comprehensive archives. Using A Little East of Jordan as a vehicle for exploring some of these difficulties, we have looked at some of the positive and negative aspects of digitisation. We think that studying Dickinson’s work on a digital platform can encompass many of the elements from physical copies while offering new pathways for engagement by allowing people to comment on their reading, and explore her complete works by theme or at random. Dickinson characteristically provides space for questioning her subject matter by leaving gaps between the reader and the writer, the speaker and the subject matter. Equally, we have found that research into digitisation distinguishes a gap between the material and digital, always treating them separate mediums. We think that digitisation should not seek to fill these gaps through superfluous information or limit the reader’s material by carefully selecting it. Books cannot replace archives and vice versa, but their limits must be recognised, our website included so that they can be improved. Rather than restriction or superabundance then, we have placed the focus upon these gaps, both within and concerning the poetry as well as the medium presenting the poetry itself, as a way of addressing Dickinson’s poetry between two mediums.
notes
- ‘About’, Emily Dickinson Archive, < http://www.edickinson.org/about> [accessed 11 May 2018]
- A Little East of Jordan’ in The Poems of Emily Dickinson, ed. by Thomas H. Johnson (Cambridge, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1955), pp. 44-5 (Further references [to this edition, etc.] are given after quotations in the text)
- Joesph Eix, Hope Meredith, Ruth Walbank, Digital Emily Dickinson (2018) < https://digitalemilydickinson.weebly.com>
- ‘A Little Over Jordan’, Emily Dickinson Archive, <http://www.edickinson.org/editions/1/image_sets/240500> [accessed 12 May 2018] (Further references [to this edition, etc.] are given after quotations in the text)
- ‘Evangelist 2’, The Oxford English Dictionary, ed. by Angus Stevenson, 3rd edn. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010) <http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199571123.001.0001/m_en_gb0277280?rskey=VQKvRX&result=2> [accessed 15 May 2018]
- Jean Lee Cole, ‘A New Digital Divide: Recovery Editing in the Age of Digitization’, Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers, 33 (2016), pp. 150-156 (p. 150) (Further references [to this edition, etc.] are given after quotations in the text)
- Christi Conti, ‘Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover- Or Format’, The South Carolina Review, 38 (2005), pp. 222-227 (p. 223) (Further references [to this edition, etc.] are given after quotations in the text)
- ‘Genesis 32:22-31’ in The Holy Bible, New Century Version, (London: Thomas Nelson Publishing Inc., 1993)
- Joyce Carol Oates, ‘Introduction’, in The Essential Emily Dickinson Poems, ed. by Thomas H. Johnson (New York, Harper Collins Publishers, 1996), pp. ix-xxv (p. ix)
- John P. Wargacki, ‘Dickinson’s A Little East of Jordan: Jacob the “God Fighter”’, The Explicator, 65 (2007), pp. 154-157 (p. 156)
- Charlotte Brewer, ‘Only Words’, The Wilson Quarterly, 32 (2008), pp. 16-20 (p. 19)