Saturday, March 21, 2020

The eNotes Blog A New Look at EmilyDickinson

A New Look at EmilyDickinson Portrait of the poet Emily Dickinson at the age of sixteen. Property of Amherst College. For years, scholars have had only one image of the enigmatic  Emily Dickinson to go bythat of the poet as a sixteen year-old, taken in 1847 (above). In that time, observers have been unable to help themselves from forming certain ideas of the poet, given this picture of a heavy-lidded, pale, and fragile looking adolescent, coupled with her well-known depressive nature. However, it seems that a new discovery may serve to change our views. That is, if the photograph below is truly the second portrait of Emily Dickinson known to date. Could the woman on the left be Emily Dickinson, twelve years on from her famous daguerrotype above? The picture recently surfaced in Dickinsons hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts, and has been on loan with Amherst College (the owner of the first Dickinson daguerrotype) while it undergoes tests to determine its credibility. And what scrutinizing tests they are; the photograph has thus far been evaluated by historians, members of the Emily Dickinson International Society, and even an opthalmologist. The last, Susan Pepin, concluded in her report, The two women have the same eye opening size with the right eye opening being slightly larger than the left. The left lower lid in both women sits lower than the right lower lid  The right earlobe is higher on both women. The inferonasal corneal light reflex suggests corneal curvature similarity, allowing us to speculate about similar astigmatism in the two women. Both women have a central hair cowlick. Finally, both women have a more prominent left nasolabial fold After a thorough examination of both of these womens facial features as viewed from the 1847 and 1859 daguerreotypes, I believe strongly that these are the same people. Kate Turner, age sixty. And shes not the only one.  Others at Amherst College, after comparing the fabric of the subjects dress to swatches belonging to the Emily Dickinson Museums textile collection, feel strongly that she must be the famous poet. Further forensic-style investigation was used to determine the second sitter in the photograph, Kate Scott Turner, which corroborates the conclusion that the image is of Dickinson. Turner, a recent widow at the time, met Dickinson in 1859. The two shared a strong relationshipwhich some have purported to have been more than mere friendshipuntil they suffered a parting of ways that deeply hurt Dickinson. In a letter to Kate circa 1860, the poet wrote, Why did you enter, sister, since you must depart? lamenting that loss of a close friend.  Thankfully, multiple photographs of Turner exist in the world, as the ability to identify her as one of the subjects in the photo makes it more likely that the other sitter who looks like Dickinson  is  Dickinson. But what exactly is the significance of finding a second portrait of Emily Dickinson, you may ask? Its all in our perceptions of her. Reducing our image of her to a photograph of a waifish teenage girl, weve been short-sighted in our considerations of Dickinson as a grown woman. It seems impossible to believe that she could be so composedstrong, evenas we imagine her now, extending a protective arm to her far meeker looking friend. If the daguerreotype is eventually accepted as Dickinson, it will change our idea of her, providing a view of the poet as a mature woman showing striking presence, strength, and serenity. She (whoever she is)  seems to be the one in charge here, the one who decided that on a certain day in a certain year, she and her friend would have their likenesses preserved. In fact, even if this  photograph is not of Dickinson and Turner, it has still  been of use in forcing us to  imagine Dickinson as an  adult, past the age of the ethereal-looking 16-year-old we have known for so many years. Tell us your views: is the image above, in your opinion, of Emily Dickinson? If so, does it change your perception of her? Leave us a comment below.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

How to Conjugate the Verb Sentire in Italian

How to Conjugate the Verb Sentire in Italian To hearTo feelTo senseTo seeTo smellTo tasteTo call What to Know About â€Å"​Sentire† It’s a regular third  conjugation verb, so it follows the typical -ire verb ending pattern.It’s a transitive verb, so it takes a direct object.The infinito is â€Å"sentire†.The participio passato is â€Å"sentito†.The gerund form is â€Å"sentendo†.The past gerund form is â€Å"essendo sentito†. INDICATIVO/INDICATIVE Il presente io sento noi sentiamo tu senti voi sentite lui, lei, Lei sente essi, Loro sentono Ad esempio: Lo senti quel profumo? È meraviglioso! - Do you smell that scent? It’s amazing! Il passato prossimo io ho sentito noi abbiamo sentito tu hai sentito voi avete sentito lui, lei, Lei ha sentito essi, Loro hanno sentito Ad esempio: Abbiamo appena sentito un rumore di sotto! L’hai sentito anche tu? - We just heard a noise downstairs! Did you also hear it? L’imperfetto io sentivo noi sentivamo tu sentivi voi sentivate lui, lei, Lei sentiva essi, Loro sentivano Ad esempio: Da bambino quando sentivo il profumo di gelsomino, sapevo che la mamma era vicina. - As a kid whenever I smelled jasmine, I knew my mother was nearby. Il trapassato prossimo Io avevo sentito noi avevamo sentito tu avevi sentito voi avevate sentito lui, lei, Lei aveva sentito essi, Loro avevano sentito Ad esempio: Aveva gi sentito le notizie quando Marco gli ha telefonato. - He had already heard the news when Marco called him. Il passato remoto io sentii noi sentimmo tu sentisti voi sentiste lui, lei, Lei sent essi, Loro sentirono Ad esempio: Non sentà ¬ mai cià ² che dissi.   - He never heard what I said. Il trapassato remoto io ebbi sentito noi avemmo sentito tu avesti sentito voi aveste sentito lui, lei, Lei ebbe sentito essi, Loro ebbero sentito TIP: This tense is rarely used, so don’t worry too much about mastering it. You’ll find it in very sophisticated writing. Il futuro semplice io sentir noi sentiamo tu sentirai voi sentiate lui, lei, Lei sentir essi, Loro sentano Ad esempio: Non ci crederà ² finchà © non lo sentirà ² da lui. - I won’t believe it until I hear it from him. Il futuro anteriore io avr sentito noi avremo sentito tu avrai sentito voi avrete sentito lui, lei, Lei avr sentito essi, Loro avranno sentito Ad esempio: Avrai sentito parlare molto del suo nuovo fidanzato. - You must have heard a lot about her new boyfriend. CONGIUNTIVO/SUBJUNCTIVE Il presente che io senta che noi sentiamo che tu senta che voi sentiate che lui, lei, Lei senta che essi, Loro sentano Ad esempio: Voglio che Marta si senta sicura. - I want Marta to feel safe. Il passato io abbia sentito noi abbiamo sentito tu abbia sentito voi abbiate sentito lui, lei, Lei abbia sentito essi, Loro abbiano sentito Ad esempio: Immagino abbiate sentito le notizie, vero? - I guess you all have heard the news, right? L’imperfetto io sentissi noi sentissimo tu sentissi voi sentiste lui, lei, Lei sentisse essi, Loro sentissero Ad esempio: Non volevamo che si sentisse sola. - We didn’t want to her to feel lonely. Il trapassato prossimo io avessi sentito noi avessimo sentito tu avessi sentito voi aveste sentito lui, lei, Lei avesse sentito essi, Loro avessero sentito Ad esempio: Non sapevo che ci avesse sentito parlare della festa. - I didn’t know he heard us talking about the party. CONDIZIONALE/CONDITIONAL Il presente io sentirei noi sentiremmo tu sentiresti voi sentireste lui, lei, Lei sentirebbe essi, Loro sentirebbero Ad esempio: Se fossi in te, sentirei tua madre. - If I were you, I’d call your mom. Esempi: Il passato io avrei sentito noi avremmo sentito tu avresti sentito voi avreste sentito lui, lei, Lei avrebbe sentito essi, Loro avrebbero sentito Ad esempio: Se lui fosse arrivato due minuti prima, avrebbe sentito il mio segreto. - If he had arrived two minutes before, he would have heard my secret.