Monday, October 22, 2012
Dickinson stanza analysis
Choose any stanza from the Emily Dickinson poems we have studied. Type the stanza at the beginning of your post, then analyze it thoroughly, focusing on diction, tone or atmosphere, imagery, symbols, themes, form, rhyme, rhythm, etc. Do not choose the same stanza as anyone else, and don't forget to sign your name! (max. 350 words; due November 12th - but don't leave it until the last minute!)
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Because I could not stop for Death-
ReplyDeleteHe kindly stopped for me-
The Carriage held but just ourselves-
And Immortality.
In the first stanza of “Because I could not stop for Death-“, Emily Dickinson settles a reflective atmosphere. First of all, in this stanza, the absence of rhyme scheme brings in a feeling of spontaneity. Furthermore, the use of dashes at the end of each line makes the diction of the poem like a halting voice in the reader’s ears, gently whispering its story. It seems like the narrator is searching his words, spontaneously and instinctively, which is quite an unsettling impression for the reader, for it means he is still wondering about what happened to him in the past, when “Death […] kindly stopped for [him]”. However, in the last line, the dash is replaced by a point, which indicates to us that the narrator is getting assurance in the research for meaning, this is to say to find out what is hiding behind Death, and yet this assurance disappears from the poem in the following stanzas.
The imagery is firstly rooted into the domain of death. As a matter of fact, Dickinson mentions the idea of the disability to “stop”, which highlights her fear about what is waiting for her after “Death”, but also the idea of Immortality, the importance of which is underlined by the use of capitalization. Besides, we can also observe the imagery of continuity, introduced by “The Carriage [holding]”. This way, the stanza is built on the contrast drawn between a total stop and continuity, which could be both implied by “Death”. Moreover, the narrator’s state of mind seems to evolve from reluctance to hesitation facing “Death”: in effect, whereas he “could not stop for Death” in the first line, he suggests the existence of Immortality in the last one. In addition to this, “Death” is omnipresent in the stanza, described alternatively positively and negatively: represented “kindly”, but also reminded to us by “The Carriage”, which may stand for the frightening vehicle leading the funeral cortege.
As a result, we can state that the theme of this stanza is one of the favorite issues of Dickinson: the afterlife, accompanied by all the doubt, fear and uncertainty it implied to her.
Poem 288: "I'm Nobody! Who are you?"
ReplyDelete- Chosen stanza:
How dreary - to be - Somebody!
How public - like a Frog -
To tell one's name - the livelong June -
To an admiring Bog!
number of words: 326.
In poem 288’s last stanza, Emily Dickinson is able to convey an important message to her reader, although her writing gives an impression of lightness and frivolity, as in a daily conversation.
She is able to give an impression of lightness, of a naïve monologue thanks to her special use of punctuation. Indeed, in this stanza, she not only uses her usual dashes, but includes exclamation marks. As a consequence, a light-hearted and jovial tone is created. Moreover, the poet uses unusual words for a poem, such as “frog” or “bog”. Both these words are rarely read in poetry, and are more common in fairy tales or conversations. Once more, an impression of frivolity is transmitted to the reader.
However, although she gives this impression of casualness, Dickinson uses a simile in which she compares “important” people to “[f]rog[s]” and society to a “bog”. The main idea is that “[s]omebody”, the great “[s]omebody”, is nothing but an animal: a useless frog and that the “[f]rog” is trapped by the “[b]og”, it has no liberties and its position is worthless. The reader here understands that, even though the given images are light, they carry an important meaning which comprises the core of this stanza.
Moreover, Dickinson also uses a particular rhyme scheme, ABCB, with perfect rhymes. The rhyme sound is “og”. As it is funny, it gives to the reader the feeling that a child is telling a joke. Nevertheless, although this, one more time, reinforces the impression of frivolity, her choice of putting the words “[f]rog” and “[b]og” together highlights their importance and meaning. These “unattended” words – within a poem – are therefore considered as being the most important in this stanza.
In conclusion, even if Dickinson uses a conversational tone here, she is able to provide us a hidden satire of the society. In it, she mostly criticizes people who want to be recognized and admired by others while putting aside true values, such as liberty.
I heard a Fly buzz – when I died –
ReplyDeleteThe Stillness in the Room
Was like the Stillness in the Air –
Between the Heaves of Storm –
In this first stanza of the poem “I heard a fly buzz – when I died” Emily Dickinson succeeded to create a particular atmosphere and to build a concrete image of death in the reader’s mind.
To begin with, this quatrain strives to create concrete images of what is described in the mind of the reader. Indeed, first of all, a deathbed scene is depicting throughout this stanza as an anonymous persona is describing the scene of her death. She is in a “room” and, although it is not clearly explain, we rapidly understand that she is in her deathbed as it used to occur in the nineteenth century. Then, while this persona is dying, she heard a fly buzz. At once boring but also disturbing and unexpected, this sound is directly interrupting “the stillness in the room”. Thus, a direct contrast between the silence reigning in the room and this fly buzz is drawn. With the fly, which attracting all the attention, Dickinson creates a concrete image of death. Indeed, the fly is a direct symbol of death as it reminds the idea of putrefaction and corpses. Furthermore, the fly echoes “When I died”.
Then, in this stanza, Dickinson settles a heavy and solemn atmosphere. First of all, the repetition of “stillness” within the stanza emphasizes this idea of silence as well as the heavy and solemn atmosphere in the room. Moreover, the numerous dashes contribute as well to establish this particular atmosphere by creating silences and making the rhythm very slow. Therefore, it highlights the solemnity of the scene described. Finally, the simile between the “Stillness in the room” and “the Stillness in the Air- / Between the Heaves of Storm-” shows also that the room is silent. However, the reference to the “Heaves of Storm” indicates that this peace and silence is going to disappear since the word “Between” (the Heaves of Storm) reveals that something has happened but something is going to happen again.
To conclude, in this first stanza, Dickinson deals with two of her favourite themes: death and the afterlife as the persona is dying. Through a deathbed scene, she establishes a concrete image of death, namely the fly, in the mind of the reader and creates a solemn and heavy atmosphere in this stanza. But the unexpected fly buzz that pierces the silence in the room, and the use of slant rhymes shows that something goes wrong, it is a bit “shaky”. Therefore, it gives this idea that maybe death and the afterlife is not as “simple” and predictable as we believe…
Lucie
A Bird, came down the Walk –
ReplyDeleteHe did not know I saw –
He bit an Angleworm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
Emily Dickinson
In the first stanza of A Bird, came down the Walk – Emily Dickinson’s undefined speaker watches secretely a bouncing bird eating. We will try to analyse how Dickinson creates a clear and understanble verse by combining a precise form, several sound effects and a particular vocabulary with a concrete imagery.
Firstly Dickinson writes following an even and unique structure as we can notice in her first stanza, namely two trimeters, one tetrameter and an other trimeter. This association of three, three, four, three beats suggests short actions brielfy done by the bird rather than expanded: the reader’s attention, thus well captured, focuses fully on the bird’s deeds and makes him want to read further. Moreover Dickinson uses a special metrical pattern consisiting of two syllables, in which the first is unstressed and the last is stressed, called iambic. This device allows the reader to picture clearly the bird’s hopping, imitating it accurately.
Secondly Dickinson conveys meaning by creating specific sound effects. Indeed she repeats the same vowel sound “o” for instance in “[w]alk” (v. 1), “know” and “saw” (l. 2), “fellow” and “raw” (l. 4). These alliterations give the impression of lightness and enable the reader to picture precisely the bouncing bird. Furthermore the poet punctuates her stanza for example with dashes,“[...] Walk – ” (l.1) and “[...] saw – ” (l. 2) but also with commas, as we can notice line 4 with “fellow, raw,” and line 1 with “[a] Bird,”. This punctuation, marking moments of observation and expressing senses of movement throughout the stanza, adds to the hopping of the bird which can therefore be utterly felt by the reader.
Thirdly Dickinson describes the bird with a special vocabulary. She indeed uses simple verbs such as “c[o]me down” (l.1), “know” and “s[ee]” (l.2), “bit[e]” (l.3) and “[ea]t” (l.4) which consequently permit the reader to follow precisely each action effectuated by the bird and keep on reading further. Besides Dickison also chooses to scatter her stanza with specific words such as “[a]ngleworm”, “halves” (l.3) and “fellow”, “raw” (l.4). These detailed words allow the reader to visualise concretely the bird’s deeds. Such association of simple and precise language thus leads the reader to a perfect understanding.
Last but not least, the poet depicts the bird by using a specific imagery. Indeed she mentions a bird which “c[o]me[s] down a [w]alk” (l.1) instead of flying like a normal bird, thus giving the impression of a personified, civilised animal, endowed with a human qualities. Plus, Dickinson adds the word “raw” (l.4) which, this time, describes the primitive side of this “humanlike” bird. As a result, the reader gets a concrete and vivid image of the bird which helps him to understand.
To conclude, we can see Dickinson manages to explore each and every possible way – namely the overall form, sound effects, vocabulary and imagery - to lead us to a perfect comprehension.
Victoria
"I'm Nobody! Who are you?
ReplyDeleteAre you – Nobody – too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Don't tell! they'd advertise – you know!"
Firstly, I’ve chosen this stanza mainly because it detaches itself from the others by the special complicity it builds with the reader. I found anywhere else this strong impression that Dickinson was directly adressing and involving us into her poetry.
In a first time, Dickinson begins by claiming she is “Nobody”. It sets the tone. We are far from any form of pedantry or arrogance. In a way it “unbends” us. Moreover, it catches the reader’s attention because of the unusual aspect of such beginning and presentation.
In a second time, Dickinson calls us out through a succession of intimate questions about our identity with a disarming artlessness that instantly breaks the barriers between a writer and his reader. The complicity goes further as Dickinson includes us into the “Nobody” group as if we were “a pair of us” with her. We get hooked.
Then, the rapid rhythm with the numerous dashes and question, the playful tone and the simplicity of the language convey the impression that we are in front of a child that invite us to join her and to rejoice being nobody too. Indeed we are tempted to follow her as she seems to entertain herself a lot!
In fact this apparent playful, childlike tone and this complicity built deserve a purpose. First they are looking for seducing us maybe in order to make us taking side with Dickinson. The second part of the strategy is that they aim to denounce in the following stanza the absurd aspect of a pompous society. As we said, “truth out of the mouth of babes”.
It's very intersting the link you draw with such a well-known adag for it puts clearly on display how timeless Dickinson's poetry is!
DeleteWe passed the School, where Children strove
ReplyDeleteAt Recess – in the Ring –
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –
We passed the Setting Sun –
In the third stanza of ''I could not stop for death'' Emily Dickinson depicts a familiar scene to make of death something totally normal, while she is describing this as something strange in the first two stanzas. It's disturbing. Is death a normal part of life, an usual and ordinary situation ?
Dickinson uses familiar images such as school, children, fields and the sun. Moreover, she capitalizes each of these words, to make them seem more important and especially to slow the reader down a little, making him pause to consider the word rather than breezing through the poem. Making him think and reflect on these common things. Making him accept and expect his death. It shows indeed that for Emily Dickinson death is not something strange or scary. It's just a stage of life, like a simple school day, or a workday in the fields.
Furthermore we have the anaphora of ''We passed'' which may mimic the slow progression of the Carriage and it makes us feel like if we were part of their journey, and not only outside observers. Stressing this idea of a normal scene, almost pleasant and joyful scene, in which everybody is invited.
Besides Dickinson uses a quite obvious symbol : the Setting Sun, meaning a foreshadowing of death, or clearly the end of the life. Indeed the sunset is the end of the day, when it's getting dark and cold, similarly to death. We could associate this ''shift'' in the atmosphere, and the climate, to the shift we have one line later ''Or rather'' which emphasizes this changing tone: from joyful to doubtful. These two different shifts could be only one or the Setting Sun could prepare the ''Or rather''.
In addition to that there is no rhyme scheme followed, it gives more spontaneity to the text and we can be sure that the words are not chosen because they rhyme together. On the contrary they are the ''right'' words. It emphasizes this idea of a common, usual scene, without frills. Nevertheless a meter is used, the hymn meter, which ties the words together and helps the poem's progression.
Perhaps the mixing of the unreal in the two first stanzas and the real in this stanza makes the poem even stranger or maybe it makes death and dying seem like just another ordinary part of life.
We paused before a House that seemed
ReplyDeleteA Swelling of the Ground –
The Roof was scarcely visible –
The Cornice – in the Ground –
This is the fifth stanza of « Because I could not stop for Death » by Emily Dickinson.
The rhyme scheme is ABCB with an exact rhyme ; actually one can hardly make a better rhyme since it is the same word. The fact that this word, « Ground », is capitalized and at the end of two lines is a first wake up call. Dickinson is not only referring to the Ground, she is insisting on it. Besides, on both occasions, it is followed by a pause to give us the time to reflect on it. On the second time the word is practically surrounded by pauses that also emphasize the fact that the house is underground : « – in the Ground – ». She is clearly giving a big clue all the way. The « House » is a grave, but is never referred to as one, not explicitly ; probably to erase the meaningful and emotional weight of the object. She doesn’t speak of a hole in which you put corpses, but of a residence. The pauses in between the lines and in the middle of the last one show some sort of bewilderment, and the speaker talks in strange terms too. Actually it is not the terms that are strange so much as the way they are used. The author is apparently very reluctant in spelling out the true identity of the house, and is giving out clues while stubbornly sticking to the original image of the house. And so, we have the words « Roof » and « Cornice », which do not fit the description of a grave. It gives the feeling that the speaker is unwilling to admit what this house really is ; or that (s)he has never seen a grave before - although both are very unlikely, since a grave does not even remotely look like the roof of an underground house, let alone « A Swelling of » anything whatsoever. The speaker is certainly perfectly conscious of what is happening despite the pause in the middle of the last line that gives the impression that (s)he is a bit befuddled by the situation.
The word « paused » implies that « We » should have been back on the road shortly. Either it is indeed a pause for everyone and the carriage just stopped to let the body in the grave and move on with the soul ; or the carriage is the only one pausing since the speaker is staying there for all eternity. There is no clear conclusion here. We are forced to decide by ourselves wether there is a Heaven or not. Perhaps the soul, the only living remain of a person after death, is simply stuck in the corpse from then on ; but then again maybe not.
This stanza is the perfect example as to how indecisive Emily Dickinson was concerning the afterlife. If we trust these four lines, we can safely assert that she was extremely so.
With Blue – uncertain stumbling Buzz –
ReplyDeleteBetween the light – and me –
And then the Windows failed – and then
I could not see to see –
To begin, it is significant to notice that the insect described is not a cordial butterfly, but in fact, a revolting, nauseating fly, buzzing gallingly. By combining a reference to colour, “blue”, and sound, “buzz”, Emily Dickinson syndicates two separate senses in order to demonstrate the omnipresence of this irritating creature. The description of this “buzz” as “uncertain” and “stumbling” generates a rather unhinged and worrying situation where doubt and suspicion facing death and the afterlife reigns. Furthermore, the intensive use of dashes in this line suggests the image of the fly landing and then buzzing suddenly again. Moreover, we understand that the fly interposes itself between the “light” and the speaker. On first reading we may imagine that the fly interpolates itself between a source of light and the speaker’s eye. However, judging by Dickinson’s multiple references to spiritual aspects of life, we can envisage that life is a metaphor for what is supposed to follow death: the appearance of the “King” for instance. In brief, the fly appears to ruin this progression toward the heartening afterlife which, hence, becomes doubtful or even inexistent. Additionally, the last two lines are extremely abrupt: the use of “and then” suggests a very quick transition and the reference to windows failing produces the image of the speaker finally closing her eyes, her soul detached from the exterior world. The last line projects us into a parallel world as Dickinson refers hauntingly to death, telling us that the speaker could not “see to see”. Although it seems clear that the poet is referring to an aspect of death, it is difficult to elucidate the genuine meaning of this line. Maybe she is expressing the ambivalence she experiences: she has passed to the other side and now is confused as to what she can describe of it. This mysterious nothingness creates an overly uncanny and unexpected ending accompanied by this surprising fly, leaving us wandering in this strange and unreal atmosphere. This sense of incompletion and doubt is accentuated by a last dash suggesting that something is left unsolved and the uncertainty of the afterlife, in contrast with the use of perfect rhyme which heightens the appearance of hasty death and thereby, the end.
(this is the wrong one, the one below is the right one)
DeleteWith Blue – uncertain stumbling Buzz –
ReplyDeleteBetween the light – and me –
And then the Windows failed – and then
I could not see to see –
To begin, it is significant to notice that the insect described is not a cordial butterfly, but in fact, a revolting, nauseating fly, buzzing gallingly. By combining a reference to colour, “blue”, and sound, “buzz”, Emily Dickinson syndicates two separate senses in order to demonstrate the omnipresence of this irritating creature. The description of this “buzz” as “uncertain” and “stumbling” generates a rather unhinged and worrying situation where doubt and suspicion facing death and the afterlife reigns. Furthermore, the intensive use of dashes in this line suggests the image of the fly landing and then buzzing suddenly again, tehrefore creating an unsteady ryhtm, fueling ambiguous mood. Moreover, we understand that the fly interposes itself between the “light” and the speaker. On first reading we may imagine that the fly interpolates itself between a source of light and the speaker’s eye. However, judging by Dickinson’s multiple references to spiritual aspects of life, we can envisage that life is a metaphor for what is supposed to follow death: the appearance of the “King” for instance. In brief, the fly appears to ruin this progression toward the heartening afterlife which, hence, becomes doubtful or even inexistent. Additionally, the last two lines are extremely abrupt: the use of “and then” suggests a very quick transition and the reference to windows failing produces the image of the speaker finally closing her eyes, her soul detached from the exterior world. The last line projects us into a parallel world as Dickinson refers hauntingly to death, telling us that the speaker could not “see to see”. Although it seems clear that the poet is referring to an aspect of death, it is difficult to elucidate the genuine meaning of this line. Maybe she is expressing the ambivalence she experiences: she has passed to the other side and now is confused as to what she can describe of it. This mysterious nothingness creates an overly uncanny and unexpected ending accompanied by this surprising fly, leaving us wandering in this strange and unreal atmosphere. This sense of incompletion and doubt is accentuated by a last dash suggesting that something is left unsolved and the uncertainty of the afterlife, in contrast with the use of perfect rhyme which heightens the appearance of hasty death and thereby, the end.
Poem : 'I died for Beauty - but was scarce'
ReplyDeleteHe questioned softly “Why I failed” ?
“For Beauty”, I replied –
“And I – for Truth – Themselves are One –
We Brethren, are”, He said –
Beauty and Truth have brought so many conflicts, convenient appearances being prefered to reality. This opposition was, for instance, the core of religious disagreements between Dickinson and Calvinism.
The second stanza of her poem ‘I died for Beauty – but was scarce’ stands as the central part of a thinking over the differences between these.
Though central, this stanza is a sort of calm, not narrative pause. The frequent use of “l” in “softly”, “failed” and “replied” creates a peaceful atmosphere. Similarly, the rhythm is slowed down by frequent dashes like in “And I – for Truth – Themselves are One –“ or regular hard consonants such as “questioned”, “softly”, “beauty” which slow diction. By this way and the simple tone brought by words such as “softly”, the following ideas seem obvious and natural.
Indeed, Dickinson delivers her statement through a dialogue between “Him” and “I” so she does not seem to impose her own opinion. Rather than a series of events, she creates a natural course of thoughts with diverse punctuation marks. Thus she gains the reader’s agreement, starting with an undecided question to which both characters – although of distinct opinions at first - answer together. The rhyme scheme “abca” stresses this feeling of an enclosure, besides its appearant symmetry makes it seem ideal.
This discussion gathers both characters on an agreement, which is shown by “We Brethren are” or the antithesis “themself are one” : both concepts form one. Along the stanza, “Him” starts asking a question to himself, to which “I” replies, nonetheless they follow their discussion devoid interruption so we understand one’s thoughts are the other’s too. This concentration is also visible in the sole capitalization of words such as “I”, “Him”, “Beauty”, which entities are the very subjects and essence of the stanza. Finally, “I” answers the question, before “Him” and “We” so there is a feeling of crescendo bringing up the answer as a climax.
Overall, we can notice nothing remains in this stanza but the essential, which supports the idea of a mere, non superfluous truth to be the real beauty and only worth thinking motive.
350 words
Margot
I died for Beauty - but was scarce
ReplyDeleteAdjusted in the Tomb,
When One who died for Truth, was lain
In an adjoining room -
In the first stanza of the poem "I died for Beauty, but was scarce", a speaker reveals Beauty and Truth, the main theme of John Keats’ "Ode on a Grecian Urn". This reference to his words “Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty” implies that he was one of Emily Dickinson’s greatest sources of inspiration. Moreover, the poet confronts the speaker’s death for Beauty with One’s death for Truth, which imposes the idea of martyrdom, helping a reader to realize that our passing over does not have to be aimless. Otherwise, the Beauty mentioned in the first line of a poem may symbolize the art of poetry. The speaker was so fascinated with poesy that he was ready to consecrate his life to it.
However, on first reading the atmosphere and the tone of this poem seem to be really solemn and deathlike, because of using the vocabulary such as ‘died’ or ‘Tomb’. Likewise the readers have the impression of the omnipresent sadness and fatality. Nevertheless, Emily Dickinson uses the personal pronoun ‘I’ to emphasis the fact that the first-person speaker, not closely paralleled to Dickinson herself, is involved in the poem and describes his own experience. Contrariwise, the second persona presented in "I died for Beauty, but was scarce" does not reveal his identity. To name him, the poet employs only an indefinite pronoun One.
This stanza is a quatrain following the ABCB slant rhyme scheme. In addition, it contains two pairs of lines, where the first line is iambic tetrameter finished with the enjambment and the second one is iambic trimeter. This structure is a typical pattern used in Dickinson’s poems. Regularity and a recurrent theme of the death make this poem a representative example of this unique style of Emily Dickinson’s poetry.
The Feet, mechanical, go round –
ReplyDeleteOf Ground, or Air, or Ought –
A Wooden way
Regardless grown,
A Quartz contentment, like a stone –
First of all, I have chosen this stanza because it drew my attention. The first and the third stanzas are composed of four lines whereas this one is made of five lines. Dickinson worked on the global form including the rhythm, the imageries… in order to make this stanza really efficient in her poem.
To begin with, the first line introduces the atmosphere the reader will feel in. “The Feet” represent the movement but directly, it is written an adjective permitting the precise description of this movement. The word “mechanical” emphasizes the idea of a daily routine. The movement is done without reflection or thought. Furthermore, another idea suggested by this word is the dehumanization and the deadness. No human feeling and attitude are translated through this walking.
To pursue, concerning the second line, there is an accumulation of places where the speaker, undefined, can go or even where it is possible to define the scene. At the end of the line, the word “ought” brings a final answer; there is no place where to go or where the heart can rest. It permits also to show that nothing even positive or negative happens after a great pain.
The third and fourth lines are linked by an enjambment. The “wooden way” confirms the atmosphere established. The wood is a hard material, difficult to pierce. In addition, “Regardless grown” means that the conscience of the speaker is destitute of any interest for the things of life, for the things that evolve, grow up…
Finally, an irony figure is present. “Quartz contentment” is an oxymoron because “contentment” is a feeling possible just for living people, with a heart and a mind. On the contrary, quartz is a material devoid of sensations. Moreover, this image is compared to a stone. It is the confirmation of the hardness of the feeling and the stone can be the heart. The heart has stomached a great pain, so much intense that it has been changed into a stone.
Overall, the rhythm is constantly slowing down by the use of dashes or commas. This makes the reader in a “serious” and calm way but uncomfortable too. It is highlighted by the lack of rhymes, except at the end with “grown” and “stone”.
Finally, all the strategies setting up by Dickinson are a mean to enlighten the speaker towards the attitude of a person after facing a great and devastating pain. All the body is locked in numbness, a numbed consciousness and a sort of apathy. No more reflection, no more feelings, just an empty soul, really affected.
Poem chosen : After great pain
ReplyDeleteThis is the Hour of Lead -
Remembered if outlived,
As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow –
First –Chill- then Stupor – then the Letting go –
First of all, I chose this stanza, because I thought it was uncommon , mostly in the form . Though the quatrain is used often, as in this stanza, the lines are unusual . They are composed of six syllables for the first two lines, and of ten syllables for the two last ones . Also, there are slant rhymes, but with a rhyme scheme “AABB” . This rhyme scheme gives an impression of very structured ideas,like in the first stanza, where the same rhyme scheme is used . But, as the second stanza loses all typical English form, with 5 lines and surprising rhyme scheme, the rhyming in the third stanza brings calm .
Dickinson used a lot imagery in this stanza, with rhetorical figures . For example, “the Hour of Lead” is an allusion of the hour following great pain, and grief and it goes with other imageries in the poem, such as the quartz, and stone . The reader would not really understand why the speaker tells about freeing persons, or snow, it seems really weird . Actually, this imagery tries to make us understand how we feel after crying a lot, because of great pain . Cheeks are a bit paralyzed, as if they were really frozen, and so the “snow” makes reference to the cause of the freezing, so the grief . Chill is also in this theme of cold, body gets cold .
The punctuation really emphasizes “the Hour of Lead”, very slow and heavy.There are in this stanza many dashes, as in other Dickinson’s poems, but there are also a lot of comas that contributes to slow down the rhythm .As for the tone, imagery and punctuation create a very heavy atmosphere, but calm however .
To conclude, this stanza was an example of form that Emily Dickinson did not use very often, but the theme of moments of sadness was very current in her poetry .
Pascaline
And so, as Kinsmen, met a Night —
ReplyDeleteWe talked between the Rooms —
Until the Moss had reached our lips —
And covered up — our names —
Emily Dickinson
This stanza, is the last of "I died for Beauty - but was scarce". It is another questioning poem of Dickinson concerning death.
Similarly, to other poems of Dickinson such as "A Bird, came down the Walk –", the last stanza is a turning point and the tone is quite different from the rest of the poem. In this stanza the rhythm is slower and marked by the dashes at the end of each verse. In addition the last verse includes two dashes which, in my opinion, show the time it takes for the moss to cover up the names. The questioning tone is the same through out the entire poem and similar to poems of Dickinson which relate to the theme of death.
There are two different atmospheres in this stanza :
- On one hand, the two verses are still quite similar to the rest of the poem, defining the positive side of what death could be, according to the speaker "We talked between the Rooms —".
- On the other hand, the last two verses emphasize the role of the "Moss" in the poem. It is capitalised showing its importance. The moss is an imagery representing the time that passes by and until it covers up their names the speakers are free to talk.
We know one of the speakers "Kinsmen" is a man because in the second stanza the poet defines him as "He". However we have no indications towards the other speaker.
As a conclusion, the poet creates an unsettling feeling, leaving us to doubt on whether the poem is positive or not.
Success is counted sweetest
ReplyDeleteBy those who ne 'er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.
I chose to analyze this stanza because of the theme, which is success and its appreciation, and because the fact that in spite of its siplicity, there are many things to say to get to a complete analyze of this stanza.
First of all, this stanza is the first one of « Success is counted sweetest » and it is composed of four lines, rhyming on the ABCB scheme with an exact rhyme given by the words « succeed » and « need ». The first and third lines contain 7 syllables and the second and fourth ones contain six. We can notice that the ABCB rhyme scheme is typical from Dickinson's poetry, whereas we have to face the absence of another one of the poet typical marks : the dashes. We can explain this lack of dashes by the fact that this stanza is given as a statement, as something very clear and certain, without any place for doubt or any other thesis.
The message which is given by this statement is that you have to fail to understand the value of success and that the people who succeed will never truly appreciate this success. This message leads us to a thesis we can make about Dickinson's state of mind : according to her, there is not a « winner » and « loser » since the one who fails gains to comprehend what success really means and how sweet it is.
Secondly, I focused on the imagery and the vocabulary. As far as the imagery is concerned, we notice that success is compared to a nectar, to put in light the fact that it's very sweet and gives divine sensations. As far as the vocabulary is concerned, we can say that there, Dickinson chose to appeal to our senses, with the nectar, and the theme of drinking in an overall manner, since the words « sorest needs » make us think of thirstiness, of a sore throat, which is far less agreeable with nectar. She draws a contrast, and again, we can say that it's clear, in order to give the readers direct informations.
To sum up, we can say that this first stanza is direct and announces the theme to the reader in a direct manner, though the poet uses imagery. We can also say that it's full of hope for all the losers and all the people that fail, because it tells us that even if we do not succeed at everything, we can understand the value of success, which is a consolation.
My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun –
ReplyDeleteIn Corners – till a Day
The Owner passed – identified –
And Carried Me away –
First of all, like any Dickinson poem, the form and rhythm of this stanza gives a sort of omnipresent feeling as it is loaded with meaning and helps us comprehend the extended metaphor of the loaded gun.
To begin with, this stanza is written in common meter and is rhymed ABCB. The fact that the poet chose this form of writing is striking since it gives a smooth rhythm to the poem and an almost chant-like sound which does not at all correspond to the content of the poem itself. This antithesis can be explained by analysing the extended metaphor of the “Loaded Gun” carried by its “Owner”. Indeed, it is shown that the gun’s life is dictated by its owner, in a way as to express the fact that it is simply a tool. Therefore its life can be described as uncomfortable, while the meter, that does not coincide with the primary meaning, appears out of place.
Then, the punctuation in this poem also helps to convey meaning. Firstly, the dashes present in this stanza help to create the feeling that someone is talking; they are strategically placed where somebody reading this poem would take a pause to breathe or to accentuate certain words. This punctuation shows that Dickinson’s “Loaded Gun” is actually a metaphor for a person. Furthermore, the capitalized words are also a very important part of this poem. “My Life”, first of all, is the subject of the poem as it is the main interest. We see that the persona of this poem is the “Loaded Gun” with the enjambment present in the last two lines of this stanza. One of the possible interpretations for the metaphor is the one of women’s place in society at that time. The interest then becomes a woman’s life, while the “Loaded Gun” becomes her power. This stanza symbolizes marriage as we see that the woman would wait in her “Corner” waiting to be chose or “identified” by a man and being “Carried […] away”. In this stanza, Emily Dickinson successfully denounces women’s place in her society, as she shows that women were very powerful, but were only the tools of men as they had often no choice but to wait for marriage.
Geoffrey
I dwell in Possibility--
ReplyDeleteA fairer House than Prose--
More numerous of Windows--
Superior--for Doors--
In the first stanza of “I dwell in possibility”, the first lines set a confusing atmosphere, and the dashes at the end of the lines force the reader to stop, so he can think for a while, and keep in mind the idea the poet wants to convey. Indeed, for the comprehension of the metaphor, the first two line's understanding is indispensable, as it determines the meaning of the whole poem. First then, there is no definite meaning given to “Possibility”, but the word is capitalized, which may indicate that it is to be understood in several senses. In the second line, we can note the words “House” and “Prose” are also capitalized: the word “house” here has a double meaning; It is a metaphor. The fact that Dickinson mentions “Prose” explicitly brings up the theme of poetry, especially since there is a comparison between the “House” and the “Prose”. It suggests Possibility is a House, and if this House is “fairer than Prose (also a House)”, it follows that Possibility lies in opposition to Prose; We understand then that “Possibility” is Poetry. Moreover, since it is the poet herself who is speaking, (use of “I” in the first line), it is the idea that she “dwells”, so she “lives in poetry”, this understood by the comparison to prose made by the simile in the second line, clearly putting forward the fact that the author lives in limitless possibilities, since Poetry is “Fairer”. (more restraint in Prose.)
The speaker continues to qualify “Possibility” with characteristics attributed to a house, so that the lexical field of “housing” is quite present : “numerous...windows”, “doors”, “house”, “to dwell in”. This domestic imagery is, on first reading, a bit abstract and ambiguous. The ABCB rhyme scheme in this common meter is present, but very loose; indeed “Prose” and “Doors” rhyme, but it is a slant rhyme.
To conclude, we can note that the poet gives instantly her point of view that will be sustained all through the poem. The metaphors and similes used make it so that poetry is possibility, poetry is more beautiful , poetry has more windows and doors open for access, for different perspectives and interpretations, while prose by default, is more closed and limited .
After great pain, a formal feeling comes –
ReplyDeleteThe Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs –
The stiff Heart questions was it He, that bore
And Yesterday, or Centuries before?
First of all, Emily Dickinson uses iambic pentameters in this stanza, which are formal verses and thus create a formal atmosphere, she speaks about pain with a detached tone as if she had no more feelings. The tone translates a detachment from feelings, it is as though she depicted the symptoms of someone suffering. At the beginning of the first line, Emily Dickinson mentions great pain and although we would expect an intense feeling to come up in the aftermath, she says “a formal feeling comes”, this gives us the impression of a loss of body and mind control. Then, she uses a metaphor by saying “ the Nerves sit ceremonious” as nerves can actually neither sit, nor be ceremonious. The nerves represent a whole body which sits ceremonious, deprived of feelings, nearly dead, as shows the simile ”like Tombs”. Then, she uses another synecdoche to describe the whole body by using “the stiff Heart” which is actually the mind that questions “was it He, that bore And yesterday, or Centuries before ?”The pronoun “He” designs the “Heart”, both these words start with the same capital letter, to show that the heart is not only a body part but something essential. The speaker means that the heart could have “bor(ne)” something that we actually don’t understand or, that he was not supposed to bear. Maybe the heart could not bear the ”great pain” anymore and went into coma so the speaker is actually no longer able to tell if the pain was real or if he could bear it, now that “a formal feeling (has) come(…)”.Next, she develops the idea of a loss of the notion of time. The speaker no longer knows how long the pain lasted or if he endured it himself: “was it He that bore, And Yesterday, or Centuries before ?”
To conclude, in this stanza, she deals with the suffering body and soul have to go through before death comes to put an end to them. In the last two verses, the heart speaks with exact rhymes which gives us the impression that it is still of sound mind although it has lost count with time, and that it finally went through the “great pain”. As the heart is still capable of reflecting in exact rhymes the stanza ends on the idea that there might still be hope.
Louise.
Or rather – He passed us
ReplyDeleteThe Dews drew quivering and chill –
For only Gossamer, my Gown
My Tippet – Only Tulle –
To begin, in this particular stanza, we cannot help but notice that the first few words instantly indicate a shift ; “Or rather” suggests she is no longer sure about what she stated before. Indeed, this stanza describes the much more physical and conventional turn her death is taking. “Or rather” is followed by a dash ; the reader is forced to pause, as if the speaker was trying to find the right thing to say. Another significant dash is placed at the end of the second line right after she describes the physical effect it has on her as if she (supposing the speaker is Dickinson herself) is trying to recover from those chills and quivers.
In the following two lines, the chosen vocabulary is mainly materials and elements of clothing. Her dress is made of “Gossamer”; it is a very thin, light, an almost transparent material. “Tippet” is a sort of cape usually made out of fur which she says is “only” made out of tulle, a thin netting. This gown and this tippet which are normally worn on great occasions and preferably made of thick and warm materials seem unrealistic by their lightness and delicate material, and quite inappropriate for what should normally be a funeral outfit. It gives us the impression she is scantily clad which she seems to be aware of, repeatedly using the word “only”. She is suggesting her outfit is not thick enough to protect or warm her.
As for the rhyme scheme, the only rhyme used is slant and occurs between “Tulle” and “chill”. We can also find an assonance with “drew” and “dews” and alliterations with the sound “g” in “Gossamer” and “Gown” and the sound “t” in “Tippet” and “Tulle”. The prevailing atmosphere in this stanza is mainly an atmosphere of doubt with its uncertain and somewhat scared tone which she tries to lighten by mentioning those material trappings meant to make the stanza a bit less sinister.
Hope is the thing with feathers
ReplyDeleteThat perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
This stanza is a quatrain of alternated heptameters and exameters.
In her poem, Emily Dickinson's first stanza is a definition, the definition of hope. Hope is said to be a "thing" because it is a feeling, something in us. It is said to have feathers, so we can easily understand that it is compared to a bird. This bird perches in the soul, which demonstrates hope can come and go at any time like a bird passing from a tree to an other. This comparaison with a bird is really important, as a bird is a small, fragile, but wonderful beeing. It next sings « the tune », it is important to notice that we talk about « the » tune and not « a » tune, which is also sung without words, so it is not something concrete an d it cannot be put in words or explained, nevertheless, it can be understood by everyone this way, which is an universal aspect. This image of a bird song brings a real serene and sweet atmosphere. At the end, it is said to never ends at all, bringing the idea that there's always hope. The « at all » underlines the invicibility and the force of hope.
In conclusion, this first stanza is the introduction of the main subject of the poem : Hope, which is defined first.
I willed my Keepsakes - Signed away
ReplyDeleteWhat portion of me be
Assignable - and then it was
There interposed a Fly -
The third stanza of “I heard a Fly buzz- when I died-” announces a changing in the tone of the poem.
To begin with, the speaker is in his deathbed, waiting for death. There, he talks about his will. Indeed, he has “willed [his] Keepsakes”, which means that he has chosen what “portion of [him]” he wants to bequeath to his family or friends after his death. This shows that the speaker is ready to die, as he accepted to “Sig[n] away” everything that belonged to him. Thus, the atmosphere of the first two lines of the poem is quite peaceful, because the speaker has softly prepared his death; he feels serene, as he has done everything he had to do during his life. He is now convinced to reach the afterlife. In this first part, the rhythm is slow and continuous (with the enjambment between the first and the second lines and between the second and the third lines).
“And then it was”. This expression indicates a turn in the course of the story, as the caesura of the third line which underlines a changing of tone. In the two last lines of the stanza, the rhythm speeds up and the atmosphere is not peaceful anymore. Indeed, a Fly suddenly “interpose[s]” and breaks the tranquillity of the room. Contrary to the first stanza where the fly appears as a symbol of life, there it represents something much more macabre, like a fly getting around a corpse, because it announces the death of the speaker. However, his death will not bring him to the afterlife but to nothingness, as it is expressed in the last stanza of the poem.
To conclude, this stanza really catches our attention, because this sudden changing of tone is unexpected and surprises the reader; we can suppose that the interposition of the fly also surprises the speaker.