by Emily Dickinson by May Swenson

The Continuing Evolution of Poem #585
Like nearly all of Dickinson’s poems, "I like to see it lap the miles" (also known as Poem #585) was not published until after her death. When Dickinson wrote the poem, she included alternate word choices in the margins of the page. As a result, different versions of the poem have been published. Browse through this site, then try your hand at "editing" the poem online. Email the finished poem to yourself.

What I Did on a Rainy Day
"What I Did on a Rainy Day" is a poem published in May Swenson’s book Nature. Visualize the scene that Swenson creates in this poem. Compare this description with the creatures she describes in "Southbound on the Freeway." In both poems, how does Swenson turn something ordinary into something extraordinary? Write a paragraph or two in the Web Links Activity Log to explain your answer.