The Butterfly's Numidian Gown
The Butterfly's Numidian Gown With spots of Burnish roasted on Is proof against the Sun Yet prone to shut its spotted Fan And panting on a Clover lean As if it were undone --
Emily Dickinson
The Butterfly's Numidian Gown With spots of Burnish roasted on Is proof against the Sun Yet prone to shut its spotted Fan And panting on a Clover lean As if it were undone --
A butterfly’s wings are imagined as a brilliant gown from ancient Numidia, decorated with spots of burnished metal baked into the fabric. This outfit, the speaker tells us, is “proof against the Sun”—it can handle the full force of a hot day.
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