hypertext
The Bustle in a House


The Bustle in a House
The Morning after Death
Is solemnest of industries
Enacted upon Earth-

The Sweeping up the Heart
And putting Love away
We shall not want to use again
Until Eternity.

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this page copyright © 1999 sarite alterman + jake harvey- top -
While this means moving around noisily, it refers to the padding women wore that expanded the back of their skirts. The use of this word draws a parallel between emotion and clothing tying in the idea of convention (Webster's.)
Sounds like morning; one of her many puns.
Gloomy word, invokes religious sanction (Webster's.)
Diligent labor; here we see Dickinson again making the point about how our reactions to death are mechanical.
She emphasizes this idea of laboring after death by addressing an extra beat (Prof. Abrahamson.)
Can mean to act out; but also to reiterate the idea of invoking religious sanction, it also means to ratify legally (Webster's.)
This gives the picture of a person cleaning their home; performing a chore, which is the point she is making in which we are simply going through motions when someone dies. Also, The Sweeping up the Heart can mean sweeping away the heart.
As does the sweeping away of love appear as a task, so does the putting love away. One might envision the folding of clothes with her matter of factness.
Dickinson is looking at love as industry and expresses that she does not desire to be without love again.