The Cathedral of Woods

WHO ROBBED THE WOODS

*by: Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)*


WHO robbed the woods,

The trusting woods?

The unsuspecting trees

Brought out their burrs and mosses

His fantasy to please.

He scanned their trinkets, curious,

He grasped, he bore away.

What will the solemn hemlock,

What will the fir-tree say?
After having read, “Who Robbed The Woods” by Emily Dickenson, I immediately thought about the Transcendentalists from a few months ago. I recall having been moved by a Thoreau passage where he describes the woods as a cathedral or simply a worship place, and was in awe with how respectful he was to the natural world. Although I wasn’t Thoreau’s biggest fan, I admire how progressive he was, in regards to his relationship ad respect to the natural world, especially in a time where society was moving towards industrialization and disregarded the natural recourses. This poem, although short is a very potent and direct one, Dickinson demands who ruined the woods, who take away the moss away, how could someone simply strip away the resources from this pristine and mystical natural cathedral. Dickinson, like many of the transcendentalists who lived in the more utopian-like communities had a unique appreciation for the nature that surrounded them- this often was lost in the later words we read in the class- so reading this poem was a nice way to come back to the transcendentalists that we read. I chose this particular poem because of how loud it is, in comparison to the other poems. Dickinson immediately demands justice for this disrespect for mother Earth, with a bold stylistic choice of capitalization, she then continues to push the question further on. It is this first question that drives the poem through, and when the reader reaches the end, one cannot be a bit but overwhelmed by the weight she puts on the reader. I find it difficult to be moved by Dickinson in general, but it is within this poem that I was terribly stirred by how powerful this poem was.
In part, the beauty and simplicity of the piece reminded me of Barry Lopez, a writer and an advocate of nature who stresses the importance of one being aware of our surrounding, to become seduced by it’s purity and even, imperfections, become a slave to its beauty. Through “Who Robbed the Woods,” she rattles her reader to be aware, and reject the notion of accepting society stripping the woods of its resources. Very vibrant poem that stays grounded and promotes a certain degree of urgency in the reader.