Keeper of Limits: The Mrs. Cavendish Poems. Stephen Dunn

      

Keeper of Limits

© 2015 by Stephen Dunn

      FIRST EDITION

      All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Dunn, Stephen, 1939–

      [Poems. Selections]

      The keeper of limits : the Mrs. Cavendish poems / Stephen Dunn.

      pages ; cm. — (Quarternote chapbook series; #12)

      eISBN 9781941411124

      I. Title.

      PS3554.U49A6 2015

      811'.54—dc23

      2015004391

      Cover design by Kristen Radtke.

      Interior layout and composition by Kirkby Gann Tittle.

      Manufactured in Canada.

      Sarabande Books is a nonprofit literary organization.

      The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, supports Sarabande Books with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

CONTENTS

      • Title Page• Copyright• Acknowledgments1. Rachel Becomes Mrs. Cavendish2. The Young Mrs. Cavendish3. Mrs. Cavendish’s Lament4. Mrs. Cavendish’s Politics5. Mrs. Cavendish and the Period of Mourning6. Mrs. Cavendish’s Dog7. Mrs. Cavendish and the Winter Guide8. Mrs. Cavendish and the American Dilemma9. Mrs. Cavendish and the End of Secrecy10. Mrs. Cavendish and the Dancer11. Mrs. Cavendish and the General Malaise12. Mrs. Cavendish’s Dream13. Mrs. Cavendish and the Outlaw14. Mrs. Cavendish Speaks15. Mrs. Cavendish and the Learning Curve16. Mrs. Cavendish Speaks of the Unforgivable17. Mrs. Cavendish Returns From Inner Space18. Mrs. Cavendish Comes to Terms19. Mrs. Cavendish, Hope, and Other Four-Letter Words20. Mrs. Cavendish and the Beyond21. Mrs. Cavendish and the Democracy Game22. Mrs. Cavendish and the Persistence of Desire23. Mrs. Cavendish and the Keeper of Limits24. Mrs. Cavendish Becomes the Real Thing25. Mrs. Cavendish and the Man Left Behind• The Author

      • Title Page

       • Copyright

       • Acknowledgments

       1. Rachel Becomes Mrs. Cavendish

       2. The Young Mrs. Cavendish

       3. Mrs. Cavendish’s Lament

       4. Mrs. Cavendish’s Politics

       5. Mrs. Cavendish and the Period of Mourning

       6. Mrs. Cavendish’s Dog

       7. Mrs. Cavendish and the Winter Guide

       8. Mrs. Cavendish and the American Dilemma

       9. Mrs. Cavendish and the End of Secrecy

       10. Mrs. Cavendish and the Dancer

       11. Mrs. Cavendish and the General Malaise

       12. Mrs. Cavendish’s Dream

       13. Mrs. Cavendish and the Outlaw

       14. Mrs. Cavendish Speaks

       15. Mrs. Cavendish and the Learning Curve

       16. Mrs. Cavendish Speaks of the Unforgivable

       17. Mrs. Cavendish Returns From Inner Space

       18. Mrs. Cavendish Comes to Terms

       19. Mrs. Cavendish, Hope, and Other Four-Letter Words

       20. Mrs. Cavendish and the Beyond

       21. Mrs. Cavendish and the Democracy Game

       22. Mrs. Cavendish and the Persistence of Desire

       23. Mrs. Cavendish and the Keeper of Limits

       24. Mrs. Cavendish Becomes the Real Thing

       25. Mrs. Cavendish and the Man Left Behind

       • The Author

      GuideCoverContentsTitle Page

       i iv v vi 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

Acknowledgments

      Five Points: “Mrs. Cavendish and the American Dilemma,” “Mrs. Cavendish and the End of Secrecy,” “Mrs. Cavendish and the General Malaise,” “Mrs. Cavendish and the Dancer,” and “Mrs. Cavendish and the Learning Curve”

      The Georgia Review: “Rachel Becomes Mrs. Cavendish,” “The Young Mrs. Cavendish,” “Mrs. Cavendish’s Politics,” “Mrs. Cavendish Speaks,” “Mrs. Cavendish and the Democracy Game,” and “Mrs. Cavendish Becomes the Real Thing”

      Harper’s: “Mrs. Cavendish and the General Malaise” (chose from Five Points)

      Plume: “Mrs. Cavendish, Hope, and Other Four Letter Words”

Rachel Becomes Mrs. Cavendish

      She moved into his name

      willingly, for reasons phonetically