Could it be? A Happy Poem from Emily?! Dickinson's use of alcohol as a metaphor expresses joy in "I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed"

"I taste a liquor never brewed,
From tankards scooped in pearl;
Not all the vats upon the Rhine
Yield such an alcohol!"
Dickinson's poem "I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed" has a drastically different feel than the last poem of hers we had to read. This poem has a tone of utter joy and happiness as she sings her praises for the beauty of nature.In fact she loves it so much she chooses to use liquor as a metaphor for just how captivated she is by it. The liquor never brewed that she is referring to is the captivation of nature. In the second line she says it is "scooped in pearl" which is a beautiful precious gem that comes from the earth. It also says that no alcohol that comes for the Rhine could produce such a feeling of the intoxication that comes from nature. She is also intoxicated by the air, the dew, and the blue of the sky. She also even describes it as a heavenly scene when angels sit amongst the clouds ("Till seraphs swing their snowy hats") and the saints come to watch her too as she soaks up the joy and loveliness of nature. The use of the metaphor of liquor is helpful because many adults have experienced the initial euphoria of its effects and what a strong hold it takes on a person. Stating that nature is like a stronger alcohol than any other before indicates just how incredible it truly is.