Aftermath
By Emily Dickinson
The murmuring of bees has ceased;
But murmuring of some
Posterior, prophetic,
Has simultaneous come, —
The lower metres of the year,
When nature's laugh is done, —
The Revelations of the book
Whose Genesis is June.
Poem Analysis:
Emily Dickinson’s brief but evocative poem Aftermath captures the quiet, reflective transition from summer to autumn — a moment of subtle yet profound change in both nature and perception. In just two stanzas, Dickinson uses sound, time, and biblical metaphor to portray the end of seasonal vitality and the beginning of a deeper, quieter revelation.
1. The Silence After the Bloom
The opening line, “The murmuring of bees has ceased,” signals the end of summer’s lively activity. Bees, often associated with productivity, life, and nature's hum, are now silent. This absence of sound creates a sense of stillness and pause, setting the tone for the contemplative mood of the poem.
But Dickinson quickly suggests that this silence is not the end of all murmuring. Instead, it is replaced by “murmuring of some / Posterior, prophetic.” These lines are enigmatic — the word “posterior” implies something that comes after, while “prophetic” evokes the idea of foresight or spiritual revelation. Dickinson suggests that even as nature quiets, another kind of voice arises — less physical, more mystical or philosophical.
This "murmuring" may be the internal voice of reflection that follows nature’s outward performance. It is not the buzz of bees, but perhaps the whisper of mortality, wisdom, or seasonal intuition. As sound shifts, so does consciousness.
2. The “Lower Metres” and Autumnal Tone
Dickinson’s second stanza deepens the seasonal metaphor: “The lower metres of the year, / When nature’s laugh is done.” The phrase “lower metres” refers to the slower, more somber rhythms of autumn and early winter, contrasted with the high, energetic “metres” of spring and summer. “Nature’s laugh” — the joyous flourishing of life — is over.
This line may also reflect Dickinson’s musical sensibility; she often framed time and emotion in terms of rhythm and tone. Here, autumn is the year’s elegy, its slow, contemplative movement carrying a different kind of beauty — one not of laughter, but of introspection.
3. Biblical Metaphor: From Genesis to Revelation
The final lines — “The Revelations of the book / Whose Genesis is June” — introduce a profound biblical metaphor. Dickinson likens the cycle of seasons to the arc of the Bible: Genesis, the beginning, corresponds to June and the lushness of early summer; Revelation, the end, aligns with the quiet, revelatory moment of autumn.
This framing recasts the passing of time not as decay, but as revelation — an unveiling of truth that only comes after the height of life. Autumn, then, is not merely an ending, but a moment of vision. There is divine insight in decline, a sacred whisper in the silence after the bloom.
From Liveliness to Revelation
Emily Dickinson’s Aftermath offers a distilled meditation on the turning of the seasons as a metaphor for deeper spiritual and existential processes. The poem explores how life’s endings — the cessation of bees, the fading of nature’s laugh — give rise to a different kind of awareness: quieter, more solemn, but also more profound.
Through subtle sound play, layered metaphors, and biblical allusion, Dickinson suggests that there is wisdom in what follows exuberance, prophecy in what follows growth. Aftermath ultimately asserts that while the music of life may lower in pitch, it does not stop — it transforms.