'I taste a liquor never brewed' published as 'The May-Wine'

On May 4, 1861, the Springfield Daily Republican published Dickinson's now-famous poem 'I taste a liquor never brewed -' under the whimsical editorial title 'The May-Wine.'

This poem, celebrating intoxication with nature and life itself through the metaphor of drinking, has since become one of Dickinson's most beloved and frequently anthologized works, admired for its exuberant imagery and unconventional metaphors comparing natural rapture to alcoholic inebriation.

As with her other lifetime appearances in print, the poem was published anonymously, and the newspaper's editors altered both the title and likely some punctuation, a common practice of the era that sometimes obscured Dickinson's distinctive stylistic innovations, including her unconventional capitalization and dashes.

The publication reflects the Republican's ongoing relationship with the Dickinson family, particularly through editor Samuel Bowles, a close friend and correspondent of Emily's. This poem's appearance during the tense early months of the American Civil War (the war began in April 1861) provides an interesting historical juxtaposition between the poem's joyful, escapist tone and the national crisis unfolding around it. It remains one of the clearest lifetime examples of the poetic voice that would later earn her canonical status in American literature.