7-Emily+Dickinson

EmilyDickinson(1830–1886)EmilyDickinson(1830–1886)•(1)Life•A.ShewasborninaPuritan’sfamily.Herfatherwasafamouslawyer.•B.Shereceivedcollegeeducation.•C.Shelivedaleisureandsimplelifeandkeptsingleallherlife.Sheenjoyedgardeningandwritingandtriedtoavoidvisitors.(HerlifestyleissimilarwithJaneAusten’s.)•D.Shewrote1775poems,butonlysevenofthempublishedinherlifetime.•E.Beforeherdeath,sheaskedhersistertoburnallherpoems.However,hersisterpublishedthosebeautifulpoems.Herlifestory•EmilyDickinson,borninAmherst,MassachusettsonDec.10,1830,wasthebestpoetessAmericanevercreated.Shewasadaughterofaprominentlawyerandpolitician.Shedidnotreceivemuchformaleducationbutreadwidelyathome.Actually,duringthenarrowspanofherlifetime,shekeptstayingathomeexceptforafewshorttripstoBostonorPhiladelphia.•EmilyDickinsonwasawittywoman,sensitive,fullofhumanityandwithageniusforpoetry.Whileshewaslivinginalmosttotalseclusion,shewroteinsecretwhatevershewasabletofeel,tosee,tohearandwhatevershewasabletoimagine.Shewrotewheneverandwherever.•Althoughsheguardedherpoemsevenfromherfamily,1775poemswerediscoveredandpublishedafterherdeath.However,astheonlynoteworthywomanpoetinAmericanliteratureofthe19thcentury,shehadonlysevenofherpoemspublishedduringherlifetime,anditwasnotuntilthebeginningofthe20thcenturythathergeniuswaswidelyrecognized.SeveralMeninherLife•Herfather•ThomasWentworthHigginson,apoetrycriticforTheAtlanticMonthly•ReverendCharlesWadsworth,towardwhomDickinsonmightpossessadeeplovepassionandwroteatotalof366poemswithinasingleyearafterheleftforCalifornia.•ThethirdwasBenjaminNewton,alawstudentinherfather’sofficeSelectedPoems:•BecauseICouldNotStopforDeath•IHeardaFlyBuzz---WhenIDied•MyLifeClosedTwicebeforeItsClose•AsImperceptiblyasGrief•Mine---bytheRightoftheWhiteElection•WildNights---WildNights•ANarrowFellowintheGrass•ApparentlywithNoSurprise•IDiedforBeauty---butWasScarce•TellAlltheTruthbutTellItSlant•ILiketoSeeItLaptheMiles•TheBrain---IsWiderthantheSkyPoetryaboutDeath•Onethirdofherpoetryconcernsaboutdeath.•Deathbecomesanobsessionforhercreationandsheevenimaginedtheprocessofdeathinhermind.•Deathleadstoimmortality(notwithoutambivalence).PoetryaboutLove•Onegrouptreatsthesufferingandfrustrationlovecancause,suchasthepainofseparationandthefutilityoffindinghappiness.“Icouldnotdie—withyou—/Foronemustwait/toshuttheother’sGazedown—/You—couldnot—”•Theotherfocusesonthephysicalaspectofdesire,themysteriousmagnetismbetweensexes,etc.(inreferencetoPage99)PoetryaboutNature•Aboutamythicalbondbetweenmanandnature,thatnaturerevealstomanthingsaboutmankindanduniverse.•Aboutnature’sinscrutabilityandindifferencetothelifeandinterestsofhumanbeings.“Apparentlywithnosurprise\ToanyhappyFlower\TheFrostbeheadsitatit’splay.”•Aboutnatureintheaffirmationofthesheerjoyandtheappreciation,unaffectedbyphilosophicalspeculations.“themeresenseoflivingisjoyenough”.othersubjects585,“IliketoseeitlaptheMiles—”–theimageofagallopinghorse–inresponsetotheexpansionofAmerica•632,“TheBrain—iswiderthantheSky—”–HumanimaginationisnoworsethanGod.•1129,“Idiedforbeauty–butwasscarce”--beauty,truthandgoodnessareultimatelyone.BecauseICouldNotStopforDeath•Stanza1:Theangelofdeath,intheimageofakindperson,comesinacarriageforthesakeofImmortalityandthepoet.•Stanza2:Toshowmypolitenesstogodofdeath,Igaveupmyworkandmyenjoymentoflifeaswell;Igiveupmylife.•Stanza3:Thejourneyofourcarriageimpliedtheexperienceofhumanlife;schoolimpliestimeofchildhood;thefieldsofgazinggrain,foryouthandadulthood;whilethesettingsun,foroldage.•Stanza4:Probablywemaysaybeforethesunsetswereachthedestination---thenightfalls,deatharrives.Ifeltafearandchillyafterdeath,formyshroudisthinandmyscarftoolight.Despitethedescriptionof“death”,theusualgloomyandhorrifyingatmosphereislightenedbythepoetesswiththeelegantlyflutteringclothingshedescribes.•Stanza5.Severalcenturieshadpassedsincethearrivalofdeathuponme.However,Ifeltitisshorterthanaday.OnthatdayIsuddenlyrealizedthatdeathisthestartingpointforeternity,andthecarriageisheadingtowardsit.Commentonthepoem•Thepoemisdiscussingdeath,averygloomysubject,butitisdonewitharatherlighttone.Thetoneislightjustbecausetheauthordoesnottakedeathasacatastrophe;instead,shetreatstheangelofdeathasaverypolitegentleman,asalong-missingguest,givingupherworkandleisure,•puttingonherfinesilkydresses,sheaccompaniesdeathinthesamecarriagetoeternity.Allthebeautyofthisworkliesinthepoetess’open-mindedattitudetowardsdeath.BecauseICouldNotStopforDeathTheme–immortality:endlessnessofthejourney;deathistheonlybeginning–Todieistogoonanotherjourneytowardeternity,theendofmiseriesIHeardaFlyBuzz---WhenIDied•Stanza1:WhenIwasdying,Iheardthebuzzofaflywhichremindedmeofthestillnessintheair.•Stanza2:Beforetheabsolutepowerofdeath,Iwashelpless,soweremyrelativesandfriends.Theycoulddonothingmorethangatheringaroundme,tearlessandbreathless,andwatchingthearrivalofdeathtome.•Stanza3:WhenIwasabandoningthismaterialworld,aflycomestome.Commentonthepoem•Thispoemisthedescriptionofthemomentofdeath.Thepoetessmadeuseofaverystrangeimageofaflytosymbolizeherlasttouchwiththehumanworldand,moreover,