Emily Dickinson - David-Glen Smith · to oblivion and nothingness; this is not Emily Dickinson’s personal voice. • He states: “the wit goes deeper, for Dickinson does not present

revised: 05.05.12 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Emily Dickinson

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Emily Dickinson


Like E. A. Poe, her life is as much a mystery as her motivation.

A strong myth surrounds her eccentric tendencies; she is considered to be:

•phobic:eitheragoraphobicorclaustrophobic

•extremeradicalfeministintellectforhertimeperiod

Shelivedamostlyintrovertedandreclusivelifedueto:

•apersonalchoice,toavoidapatriarchalsocietywhereshehadnovoice,or

•duetopsychologicalbreakdown,or

•becauseofherdomineeringfather.

Shedidnotleaveherhomeunlessitwasabsolutelynecessary—

• shebegantotalktovisitorsfrombehindtheothersideofadoor

ratherthanspeakingtothemfacetoface.

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Emily Dickinson


Composed nearly eighteen hundred poems:

• allofwhichareeclectic,intricate,sometimeswithdensethemes

• sometimesobsessedwithdeathandtheafterlife

• appearstobeobsessedwiththeconditionofthebodyatrest

• morepoemsinhercollectedworkexistconcerningDeathratherthanGod

Educated beyond the typical methods for young women of her time.

• scienceandbiologywereofanextremeinterestforher

•naturalismandprocessofhownatureworkedsparkedhercuriosities

• botanyseemedanaturaltalent

•Dickinson’sonesurvivingarticleofclothingwasawhitecottondress.

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Emily Dickinson


Poetic Style and Formats

• inherpoemsexistextensiveuseofdashes

•unconventionalcapitalization,andthearcanevocabularyandimagery

• shedidnotwriteintraditionaliambicpentameter

•herlinelengthsvaryfromtwofeettomorefrequentformulaofusing

theballadstanza:tetrameter(fourfeet)/trimeter(threefeet)

• Ithasbeennotedthattheballadstanzaisalsoacommonmeterthatwas

usedinthehymnsofherday.Itisbelievedsheusedtheseasamodelfor

thecapitalizationsofnouns.(Furthermore,thedramaticdashesindicatea

pauseforbreath,asifintendedtobesung.)

• frequentuseofslantrhymeorsightrhyme

•herpoemstypicallybeginwithadeclarationordefinitioninthefirstline

whichshesometimesreversesorinvertsinthesecondline

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Emily Dickinson


Some Common Themes Include:

• Nature:theseoftencontemplatethemannernatureworksorthemanner

humanityfunctions;notjustdecorativeimages

• TheMasterpoems:writtentoanunknownBeloved

• Divinepoems:Dickinsonwrotepoemsreflectingaheavyemphasisonthe

teachingsoftheNewTestament;manyareaddressedtoChrist—

somemayappearonthesurfacemoredevoutthanothers

• Death:lifelongfascinationwithillness,dyinganddeath;someextremeones

coveraPoe-likespectrumofpsychologicallycomplexitysuchasdrowningor

prematureburial

>remembershewasbornbeforetheCivilWar—atthattimecommon

diseaseswerenottreatedeffectivelyandcouldbringdeathinamatter

ofafewweeks;evenpregnancyorchildbirthveryhazardous

> themodernhospitalwasnotinexistenceuntilaftertheCivilWar

>womenwerethrownintotheroleofcare-givers,midwives,ornurses

untiladoctorcouldarrive,asaportionofdailydomesticduties

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Emily Dickinson


#712 (“Because I Could Not Stop for Death”) / p 2578

• goodexampleofherpunctuationexperiments—line1ofquatraintwo:

Weslowlydrove—Heknewnohaste

Inthiscase,thedashisusedasameansforemphasisonthepronoun

HestrengtheningthepersonificationofDeath.

• usesastrategytermedballad stanza (overallafrequentchoiceforher)

> rhymescheme:A/B/C/B

>alternatesbetweentetrameter(4)andtrimeter(3)

Because/Icould/notstop/forDeath

Hekind/lystopped/forme

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Emily Dickinson


The general accepted view:

• asceneofDeathandafemalespeaker

•Deathisrepresentedasakindgentlemancaller;asuitor;afigurewhocalls

uponherwithacarriage—asifonadate.

•de-mystifyingtheusualcharacterizationofaskeletonincloakwithasycthe

• somecriticsliketopointout,heisafigurethatshouldbewelcomed

ratherthanfeared;apointofmuchspeculation

• thepersonaisavoiceoncelostinamaterialworld,butatlastacknowledges

hertimeisdue,sosheputsasidenotionsofmortalaffairs

• shetransformsherviewstoappearasifsheisspeakingfromthegrave

withstrongadviceforthereader:inotherwords,thepoemwaswrittenin

her livinghand,thevoiceisapersonifiedentitywhohasdied,

borrowingDickinson’swit

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Emily Dickinson


•LiterarycriticJerome McGannpointsoutreadersoftenmissa

strongironicpointofthispiece—thespeakerisactuallyalready deadand

journeyingtotheafter-worldof“eternity”and“immortality”asopposed

tooblivionandnothingness;thisisnotEmilyDickinson’spersonalvoice.

•Hestates:“thewitgoesdeeper,forDickinsondoesnotpresentherfiction

asanythingbutfiction”(209)—inotherwords,shepresentsa“factual”

moralisticstoryintheguiseof“fiction”butdoesnotlimittheworktoa

fictionalhumorpoem.Thespeakerhaslearnedalessonandwishestowarn

thereaderfromanauthoritativestandpoint.

•Hefurtherstatesalthoughthereisamoraltothetale,themessageis

“nosimple-mindedpronouncement”thatDeathismerelybenevolent(209)

•Deathisshownasahumanisticabstractionofrealityratherthanmerelyasa

moralisticallegoricaljudgement.Inotherwords,Dickinsonmovesthe

characterbeyondtheChristianprinciplesoftheAfterlife—idealsshewas

taughtgrowingupinNewEngland.

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Emily Dickinson


• Thepersonadoesnotdelveintoapersonalhistory—wedonotseeher

assinnernorsaint,thereforenomoralisticjudgementsarepassedby

thereader.

•McGannalsoarguesthatDeathisinfactnotagentlemancallerastypically

shown,butratherisanundertaker.

•Heviewsthe“He”inthepoemnotasapersonificationofdeath

butratherasanembodiedmetaphorforthefuneralprocessionitself.

•Theopeningquatrainonlyservesasanintroductionforthemetaphor-mask

whichtheUndertakerwearstotakethefemalevoicetoherrest.

“TheHorses’Heads”whichemergeinquatrain6areactualhorsesleading

thehearse-carriageforherphysicalbodytoward“Eternity”orinthiscase,

thegrave.Thespiritualvoicehasnotyetmovedbeyondtherealmsofthe

MaterialworldintotheDivine.

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Emily Dickinson


•Camille Pagliatakesatotallydifferenttranslationofthework.

• SheviewsitwithamoreGothicspin,thatthenarratoris:

courted,kidnapped,andmurderedbyasmooth-talkinggentlemancaller.

•PagliaclaimsDickinsonusespropernounsasindicationsofsymbolictones,

thewordsactastraditionaldefinitions,butlatertransformtodeeper,

symboliclanguage.

•Usingquatrain3asanexample,thestanzashowsaSchoolwithChildren

atrecess;Dickinsonexpectsyoutoraisetheimagetorepresentmorethan

appearances;theuppercaseChildrenrepresentsocietyasawhole.

•WhatreinforcesthenotionoftheChildrenactingasHumanityentireis

thekeywordchoiceof:“strove”—Dickinsonisstatinghumanslaborevenat

leisureinasense,re-enforcingthepreviousquatrain’sestablishmentofa

strongworkethicfortheliving.

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Emily Dickinson


•Lifeitselfisseenthenasconstantwork,butinthiscasewithanunhappy

ending.EchoingMcGann,Pagliadoesnotseeapolitegentlemancalleratall

butratherafigureofrapeandmurder.

• Pagliaassertsthattheprotagonistherselftransformsinthepiecefroma

stateofnaiveinnocenceintoaformofdisillusionedexperience,a

transformationtoanunhappyresolution.

• tulle:finenettingforweddingveilsorfuneralclothing

•Pagliaaddsaheavypessimisstictoneattheclosure:

God/Death/GentlemanCallerhavefailedtoreturninaSecondComing.

• Shewrites:“onthecontrary,itwasChrist’srosyofferofanafterlifethat

cruellydupedanddefraudedher.Godhimselfisthesuavekidnapper”(100).

•WiththistypeofreadingImmortalityisanaccomplicetoDeath’sdeception.

•Thepoemendsinanextinctionofconsciousness.Paglia,Camille.“BecauseIDidnotStopforDeath.”Break, Blow, Burn. London:VintageBooks,2005.Print.

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Emily Dickinson


•Cristanne Millerargueshoweverthattheuseofthedashattheend

ofthepoemshowsthestoryisnotyetover.Itisacontinuouseternal

existence—whichinhereyesisaoptimisticending.

• Thecloseofthepoemdoesnothaveasenseoffirmclosurefora

definedpurpose.

• Earl Wilcoxmentionsthepoemitselftransformswiththespeaker,moving

fromphysicalrealitytospiritualreality.

• Asenseofdivisionexistsaftertheimageryoftheschool—fromthatphysical

symbol,thepoemturnstomoreabstractconcerns.

• HefurtherquestionswhetherDickinsonviewedeternityasaphysical

destination,ratherthanasanabstractcondition(published1971).

/daylight/physical nighttime/abstract

1 2 3 4 5 6

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Emily Dickinson


• Eunice Glennstatesthatthe“poem’scentralthemeistheinterpretation

ofmortalexperiencefromthestandpointofimmortality”

(alreadyoptimisticallyachieved)(published1943).

• Richard Chasedeclaresthatthe“He”mentionedisinactualityboth

Death,God,andtheUndertaker,atriadsymbolismthatDickinsonmay

haveintendedtobeallrepresentationsatonce,orindividuallythroughout

stagesinthepoem.

•Hefurtherquestionswhetherimmortalityispersonifiedinthefirststanza.

(published1951).Inotherwords,ImmortalityandEternityarecloselylinked

elements.Theyshouldfunctionassymbolswithsimilardefinitionswithin

theverse.HebelievesDickinsonwouldnotpersonifyoneconceptandthen

notusethesamestrategywithasimilarstresseditem.

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Emily Dickinson


•William GalperinbelievesthepoemisnotaboutthestateofDeath,

butratherabouttheprocessofDeath.

•Hebelievesthefemalevoiceisincontroltheentiretime.

Sherefusestosuccumbtoimpositionsofthematerialworld(113).

•Deathdoesnotequaltheendoflife.Deathhereisredefinedasanacquired

possession,intermofamarriagecontract,ormatrimony.

Inasense,thepersonamarriestheabstractedelementofDeath.

•However,itshouldbepointedoutthattheendresultsofthemarriage

canstillbespuntoapositiveoutlookornegativeoutlook.

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Emily Dickinson


Important Strategies to Notice:

•Thewholepoemistoldinpasttense,untilthelastquatrain:

Sincethen‘tiscenturies,andyeteach/feelsshorterthantheday

Theword“feels”stressesasenseoftimelessnesswhichincludes

thereaderandthepersona.

•Thefirsthalfofthepoemisdetailedwitheventspertainingtodaylight:

WepassedtheSchool,whereChildrenstrove

AtRecess—intheRing—

•Thesecondhalfisdarkduetothesunset,coldanddamp,nighttime:

Dewgrewquiveringandchill—

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Emily Dickinson


#241 (“I Like a Look of Agony”) / p 2567

ThispoemisagoodexamplehowinDickinson’sworktheextensiveuseofthe

dashisprevalent.

Sometimes the dash represents:

• asimpledesignationforacomma

• ahesitation,orintendedpause

• toannounceachangeinmetaphor

• apausefordramaticeffect

• amomentofreflection{—mostoftenthisisthecase

Keepinmind,inherowntimethedashwasusedbypoets,butnottotheextent

sheutilizesthem.

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Emily Dickinson


Oneofhercommonstrategiesistouseawordwithmultipledefinitions—allof

whichmaypertaintothepoem’smaintheme.Forthisreasonshehasbeencalled

anearlylanguagepoet.Dickinsonisobsessedwithwordchoice.

•Forexampleline4usestheword“throe,”whichcanmean:

aviolentspasm;asharpattackofemotion;violentconvulsion,struggle;

asinthethroesofbattle;theagonyofdeath;thepainsofchildbirth.

• Inaddition,itispossibletoreadintothisdefinitionasenseoftheerotic:

asseeninthereligiousspasmofecstasyexperiencedbySaintTheresa,

astatuecreatedbyGianLorenzoBerniniin1652,duringtheItalianRenaissance.

• SaintTheresalooksasifsheisinastateofecstasy—hermouthisopenand

shelookslikesheisabouttohaveconvulsions.

•Herarmandleghavefallentohersideandthisaddsmoretotheaffectthat

sheisnotincontrolofherbody,butratherGodis.

• DickinsonfocusesontheblurreddivisionbetweenAgonyandEcstasy,

PleasureandPain.

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Emily Dickinson


•Themoretersethesubject,themorestressonthewordswillbeshown.

•Likewise,sheoftenutilizesastyleofcapitalizationswhichgivehernounsa

“concretenessaswellasphilosophical”relevance(Paglia,98).

• Inthisshortpoemaloneshecapitalizes:

> Agony

>Convulsion

>Throe

>Eyes

>Death

>Beads

>Forehead

> Anguish

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Emily Dickinson


•Also,thisisagoodexampleofhowshedoesnotmaintainiambicpentameter

aswasthestandardinherlifetime.

• Bothstanzasfollowthepatternof:

4/3/ 3.5 /3

• Lookingatherworkcollectively,herlinelengthsvaryfromtwofeettothe

morefrequentformulaofalternatingfourfeet/threefeet.

•Herfrequentuseofslantrhymeorsightrhymemakesherversestandout

aswell:

>true/throe

>feign/strung

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Emily Dickinson


•Overall,herworkrepresentsfuriouslyprivatepoems.

Shemayneverhaveintendedthesetobeseenbyanyoneotherthanherself.

•Typicallyshebeginseachpoemwithadeclarationordefinitioninthe

firstline(s),asinthiscase:“IlikealookofAgony.”

• Thesecondsetoflineswilloftentakeastepbackorredefineherposition,

asinthiscasewheresheassertsthatapainedfacialexpressioncanbe

admirable:“BecauseIknowit’strue—”

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Emily Dickinson


•Herethethemedealswiththeaftermathofagony.

•Keepinmind,thisisnotasasadisticpleasure,asaPoe-likesituation,

butrather,thepoemshowsanexpressionofAgonyasamomentoftruth,

whenapersonistransferringfromthestateofmortal nature to

immortal death,anaturalprogression.

•Theopeningoperatesasashocktothereader,asurpriseatherfrankimage.

•Thepoemconcentratesonaspecificmomentofharshreality.

Youplaceyourselfbesidethepoet-speaker,asaindicationofidentification

orrecognition.

•UltimatelysheresolvesthatDeathisanhonest,truestatethatcannotbe

faked;astateofpersonalconnectionwiththeAlmighty;adeclarationof

truthwithoutdeception;arelease;atransformationshowingthereleaseof

theimmortalsoul.

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Emily Dickinson


• InasenseAnguishisshownasatemporalstate,aswellasapersonification.

•Anguishisdeclaredhomelybecauseafterthedyingprocess,therewardof

theAfterlifeexists,thenextsteporphaseinourexistence.

• Strungimpliesjewels,morethanjustbeadsofsweatbutbeadsofreward.

•Noticehowthepoemisdividedintotwoquatrainsinaneatsymmetry.

Thefirsthalfdealswiththepoet-speaker’sanalysisoftruth,andtheactual

lastmomentsofthestruggleofthebody—thenaaslightbreak,apause,

andsheshiftstoactofdeathitself.Sheshowstheaftermathofthestruggle.

• Itwascommonforhertousetheun-typicalsituationtowriteabout,

shesoughtouttheunusualimageorconnotationswhichassociate

strongemotions,strongreactions.

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Emily Dickinson - David-Glen Smith · to oblivion and nothingness; this is not Emily Dickinson’s personal voice. • He states: “the wit goes deeper, for Dickinson does not present