Poetry Thursday - Nobody, by Emily Dickinson

Nikita Alexeev (b.1953, Russian)

The Draw art fair (till Sunday 19 May at Saatchi Gallery) had much to see - this is one that I remember, a set of "talking houses", spouting poetry in various languages - including English!

Here's what the house on the right is "saying" -

I'm nobody, who are you?
Are you nobody too?
Then there's a pair of us - don't tell!
They'd banish - you know!

The first published version (1891) reads -

I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us — don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!


Now that Emily Dickinson is being published in close transcription of her manuscripts, with dashes and capitals, the entire poem reads:

I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you - Nobody - too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Dont tell! they'd advertise - you know!

How dreary - to be - Somebody!
How public - like a Frog -
To tell one's name - the livelong June -
To an admiring Bog!


As for the house on the left, this isn't a poem or even a language I know...