I taste a liquor never brewed-----
From Tankards scooped pearl--
Not all the Frankfort Berries
Yield such an Alcohol!
Inebriate of air --- am I--
And Debauchee of Dew --
Reeling--- thro' endless summer days --
From Inns of molten Blue --
When "Landlords" turn the drunken Bee
Out of the Foxglove's door --
When Butterflies -- renounce their "drams" --
I shall but drink the more!
Till Seraphs swing their snowy Hats---
And Saints -- to windows run --
To see the little Tippler
Learning against the -- Sun!
Source: A hand book of Emily Dickinson(An Evaluation of Her Poetry)
UNDERSTANDING THE POEM
The poet imagines that she takes a liquor (wine) that has never been brewed, from a large cups of pearl. Such an Alcohol is not available even from all the vats upon the river Rhine.She is intoxicated with air, and has become a debauchee or libertine after drinking drew. Thus being intoxicated she reels through endless summer days!
When the landlords turn out the drunken bees from the flowers of digitalis plants, and when butterflies give up their drinks, the poet will go on drinking her liquor. The angels will swing their snowy hats, and Saint will run to the windows to see the drinker, learning against the sun, as against a lamp-post!
THE MAIN THEME OF THE POEM:
The theme and important point of the poem is spiritual ecstasy!
The poet has expressed her spiritual ecstasy through a cosmic metaphor, earthly and heavenly bodies have been implicitly compered of the different facets of her ecstasy!