Emily Dickinson Essays (Examples)

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Emily Dickinson's Poems
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Emily Dickinson and Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound's poem "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" is inspired by Chinese poetry, and dramatizes the situation of the Chinese wife of a traveling salesman. In its empathetic portrayal of the life of a woman, it resembles poems by Emily Dickinson -- but the difference is, of course, that Pound's form is fundamentally dramatic. Pound announces, in his title, the speaker of the poem. Dickinson's lyric voice, by contrast, announces no dramatized speaker. Nonetheless, we may identify certain aspects of Pound's work by comparing it with three of Dickinson's lyrics: "Tell all the truth but tell it slant," "If you were coming in the fall, and "She rose to his requirement." I will identify the ways in which each of these Dickinson lyrics illuminate Pound's poem, and in conclusion will show that "She rose to his requirement" is the closest in terms of overall poetic effect.

Dickinson's….

" typical way in which a poem by Dickinson is structured is by the use of the "omitted center." This means that an initial statement is followed by an apparent lack in development and continuity and the inclusion of strange and seemingly alien ideas. However, these often contradictory ideas and images work towards a sense of wholeness and integrity which is essentially open-ended in terms of its meaning. "Often the openendedness, the sense of incompletion, is achieved by sound as much as by visual imagery"
Diction is another aspect that is often mentioned with regard to this poets particular style. "...it is her study of the individual word and her masterly discovery of the right word that chiefly defines her distinction."

In essence Dickinson uses many techniques such as slant rhymes and dissonance to create a disturbing and evocative atmosphere which leads to further questioning. This style is possibly an aspect that….

Emily Dickinson and "The orld is Not Conclusion"
The poems of Emily Dickinson have been interpreted in a multitude of ways and often it is hard to separate the narrator of her works with the woman who wrote them. Few authors have such a close association between the individual and their work as Emily Dickinson. In Dickinson's poetry, the narrator and the poet are often seen as interchangeable beings. Themes that reappear in Dickinson's poems include God, life, and death. Death and the tragic emotions associated with it echo throughout her poetry. This would logically lead someone to conclude that these three concepts were prevalent in her psychology. According to the Emily Dickinson Lexicon, a site devoted to cataloguing and categorizing all of her works, the word death appears in Dickinson's poetry more than any other word (EDL). Dickinson's life and her experiences are echoed in her poem "The orld is….

The study of geology becomes a central underlying theme in many of her works due to the influence of Hitchcock. Dickinson adopted the view that the study of nature should be an intermingled spiritual as well as naturalist journey, and as a result, places strong emphasis on how to explore spiritual and romantic Truth, through the allegory of nature and geology.
Dickinson's poetic vision was not to advocate the strong use of scientific inquiry in daily life, but rather to perform the opposite function. he attempts to heighten the mysteries of the universe rather than to solve them. Her works attempt to counteract the strong role of scientific inquiry, which attempts to convince us that science can present a complete and undiluted picture of reality as a whole. Dickinson uses science as a vision, complete with technical language and concepts, to amplify rather than detract from the mystery of the….

.. "I could not see to see" (from Dickinson, "465"). ords; phrases, and lines of poetry composed by Dickinson, within a given poem, are also typically set off, bookend-like (if not ruptured entirely at the center) by her liberal use of various punctuation "slices" (or perhaps "splices" is the better word) appearing most often in the form of either short and/or longer dashes (or combinations of these), e.g.: "-"; and/or " -- ."
Quite often too (and in many places simultaneously as well) various phrases and/or lines of Emily Dickinson's poems are further "infiltrated" by the appearance of words suddenly capitalized mid-sentence (for emphasis; this would be equivalent to italicizing or underlining a word today). The effect is to force breath between words or phrases as one reads or speaks the line. One such example can be found in Dickinson's #258 ("There's a certain Slant of light"): "Shadows - hold their….

Emily Dickinson's poem 632 ("The Brain -- is wider than the sky -- ") is, in its own riddling way, a poem that grapples with the Christian religion, while at the same time being a poem about the poetic imagination itself. Dickinson's religious concerns are perhaps most evident when considering the form of the poem (and indeed the form of so many of her poems). The meter and the rhyme scheme of poem 632 are constructed to match the meter and rhyme scheme of traditional Christian hymns. We need only compare Dickinson's poem 632 with "Amazing Grace" to see that the form is mimicked fairly precisely -- the only difference is that Dickinson does not rhyme her first and third lines, while traditional hymns use a rhyme scheme of ABAB. But Dickinson's poem can actually be sung to the tune of "Amazing Grace" if the reader so chooses. In addition,….

She dislikes the way that members of the church use the name God to enforce their own temporal values and thoughts of sin. Although Dickinson believed: "This orld is not Conclusion," she added the caution that "Philosophy" and "Sagacity, must go" to explain the mystery of human existence. Every person must search for their own answers, beyond the confines of the rationality of the church (510).
Dickinson honors Christ: "Men have borne/Contempt of Generations/and Crucifixion" (51). She does not embrace how conventional faith "Plucks at a twig of Evidence" to justify all of its prohibitions and doctrines (510). Instead, Dickinson faced death in an unsentimental way: "Death -- / ho only shows the Marble Disc --/Sublimer sort -- than Speech -" must be endured alone and analyzed by the individual believer in solitude (310).

orks Cited

Dickinson, Emily. "310." Complete e-text at American Poems. 31 May 2007. http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/emilydickinson/10262

Dickinson, Emily. "324." Complete e-text….

Emily Dickinson
The writer whose work I admire and most influences my work is Emily Dickinson. She was a reclusive person, having returned from school at age 18 and from that point on, spending most of her time in her home by herself. There have been many hypotheses about Emily having an unidentified lover, but none have been proven. Her poems, however, are filled with the longing, love, passion, loss and depression.

Her poem "In Vain" is a poem about love. She says "and were you saved, and I condemned to be where you were not, that self were hell to me" (Dickinson 29). This poem is all about how she feels about being apart from the one she loves. She mentions how they must stay apart and have unsatisfying communications, but she prefers something to nothing. Her love is so great that to be apart is hell for her. Passion is….

Emily Dickinson Embraces Death
BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH

He kindly stopped for me

The Carriage held but just Ourselves

And Immortality.

We slowly drove

He knew no haste

And I had put away My labor -- and my leisure too, For His Civility.

We passed the School where Children strove

At Recess -- in the Ring

We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain

We passed the Setting Sun

Or rather -- He passed Us-

The Dews drew quivering and chill --

For only Gossamer, my Gown

My Tippet -- only Tulle

We paused before a House that seemed

Swelling of the Ground

The roof was scarcely visible --

The Cornice -- in the Ground

Since then -- 'tis Centuries -- and yet Feels shorter than the Day first surmised the Horses' Heads

Were toward Eternity

My first reaction to Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for death," is admiration for the poetic form. It is so perfect in it's rhythm and the way the words flow from….

Death is indeed safe from the perspective that nothing in life can hurt or destroy. The dead are "untouched" (2) by everything and nothing. The "meek members of the resurrection" (3) are sleeping, safe and sound, waiting for what awaits them on the other side. The most significant aspect of this stanza is the insinuation that the dead are still waiting for their resurrection, which may, in fact, never occur. This attitude is not unusual for Dickinson, as she explored death and God many times in her poetry, as if she were attempting to make sense of life, death, and religion. The last stanza of the poem demonstrates an even closer inspection of death as the speaker looks at the "grand" (10) years of life, as they pass "Soundless as dots on a disk of snow" (14). The poet realized one of the most important, sobering facts of life….

Emily Dickinson: Discussion Response
It never ceases to amaze me how few of Emily Dickinson's poems were read during the author's lifetime and how she persevered in writing them for so long, staying true to her spare style of writing. Many years later, modernist writers would use many of Dickinson's hallmarks as a writer, such as her fragmented prose, her innovative use of grammar, and her elliptical meanings. I do not think it was Dickinson's subject choice that made her so controversial. Many of the topics of her poems revolve around everyday household observations, death, and romance. Rather it was the way she addressed those subjects that made her readers pause, and made the few people to whom she did show her work inclined to underestimate it.

This focus upon mundane details is seen in her poem which begins "I tie my Hat -- I crease my Shawl -- / Life's little….

This poem talks of light in winter and compares it to a cathedral, and says that both kinds are "oppressive." It is not easy to figure out exactly what Dickinson is saying in this poem, but much of her poetry seems to have the belief that organized religion is oppressive, where as nature and intrinsic feelings about God are liberating.
Many critics note that a religious crisis was probably the cause of Dickinson's decision to leave her school at Mount Holyoke and return to Amherst, and they credit this crisis with the view of religion that is shown in her poetry. Others also suggest a possible lesbian relationship with her sister-in-law and friend Susan, though the evidence here is ambiguous.

Quotes:

There's a certain Slant of light,

Winter Afternoons

That oppresses, like the Heft

Of Cathedral Tunes -" bird came down the walk:

He did not know I saw" door just opened on a street….

Emily Dickinson, Keetje Kuipers, and Ruth Stone all deal with the idea of death in their poems "Color - Caste -- Denomination," "My First Lover Returns from Iraq," and, respectively, "Reality." These poets focus on this concept with regard to individuals they loved but appear to be less concerned with the tragic nature of death. Instead, they are apparently interested in concentrating on life in contrast to death and with the idea of death in general as being particularly abstract.
Kuipers and Stone appear to be dedicated at presenting the more vivid image of death rather than to use symbolism as a means to communicate with audiences. I find this post to be especially intriguing because of the way that it deals with all three poets. The fact that the post is primarily focused on emphasizing the differences as well as the similarities between the poets is probably meant to have….

(Jones, p. 49). These confessional poems are often "searing in their self-inquiry" and "harrowing to the reader" and typically take their metaphors from texts and paintings of Dickinson's day. Some scholars posit that the "Master" is an unattainable composite figure, "human, with specific characteristics, but godlike." (Jones, p. 49).
Recent scholars have posited that Dickinson saw the mind and spirit as tangible, places and that for much of her life she lived within them. (Juhasz, p. 86-87). Often, this intensely private place is referred to as the "undiscovered continent," embellished with images of nature. (Juhasz, p. 89).

Classifying "Wild nights!" Wild nights!"

"Wild Nights! Wild Nights" must be interpreted with the aid of recurring themes in Dickinson's work. The dominant interpretation of Wild Nights is that it is a sexually-themed poem about lust and desire directed at the recurring "Master," Dickinson's "lover for all eternity." Advocates of this interpretation claim that the….

Emily Dickinson, one of America's greatest poets, is known for the musical simplicity and taut, unrelieved expression of emotional truth in poems that are stark, austere, compact and often small -- even though her body of work is immense. Many of her poems probe the source of spiritual despair -- and find within it a restorative, if stubborn, faith. In the poem, "I Never lost as much but twice" she stands before God and addresses Him as an individual who has lost everything, and "stood a beggar/efore the door of God!" And yet, apparently, it was God who brought her both happiness and sorrow, fulfillment and loss: his "Angels -- twice descending/Reimbursed my store," and yet she is lost again. With a certain ironic and rebellious humor that is one of Dickinson's stylistic hallmarks, she addresses God as both "urglar! anker!" He is the source of her wealth and her….

1000-Word Essay on Titles for Literature Essay

The selection of an effective title for a literature essay is a pivotal task that can significantly enhance the impact and clarity of your work. A well-crafted title succinctly captures the essence of your argument, engages readers, and provides a roadmap for the content to follow. Here are some suggestions for titles that effectively convey the purpose and content of your essay:

1. The Role of Symbolism in the Exploration of Identity in Toni Morrison's Beloved

This title clearly states the focus on symbolism and its connection to identity exploration in Morrison's novel. The inclusion of....

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3 Pages
Term Paper

Literature

Emily Dickinson's Poems

Words: 1104
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Emily Dickinson and Ezra Pound Ezra Pound's poem "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" is inspired by Chinese poetry, and dramatizes the situation of the Chinese wife of a traveling salesman.…

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8 Pages
Thesis

Literature

Emily Dickinson Is Often Cited

Words: 2436
Length: 8 Pages
Type: Thesis

" typical way in which a poem by Dickinson is structured is by the use of the "omitted center." This means that an initial statement is followed by an…

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6 Pages
Essay

Mythology - Religion

Emily Dickinson and The World Is Not

Words: 1776
Length: 6 Pages
Type: Essay

Emily Dickinson and "The orld is Not Conclusion" The poems of Emily Dickinson have been interpreted in a multitude of ways and often it is hard to separate the narrator…

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7 Pages
Term Paper

Biology

Emily Dickinson Is Viewed by

Words: 2068
Length: 7 Pages
Type: Term Paper

The study of geology becomes a central underlying theme in many of her works due to the influence of Hitchcock. Dickinson adopted the view that the study of…

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2 Pages
Term Paper

Literature

Emily Dickinson Thematic Stylistic and

Words: 671
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Term Paper

.. "I could not see to see" (from Dickinson, "465"). ords; phrases, and lines of poetry composed by Dickinson, within a given poem, are also typically set off, bookend-like…

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3 Pages
Essay

Literature

Emily Dickinson's Poem 632 The Brain --

Words: 1137
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Essay

Emily Dickinson's poem 632 ("The Brain -- is wider than the sky -- ") is, in its own riddling way, a poem that grapples with the Christian religion, while…

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1 Pages
Term Paper

Literature

Emily Dickinson Support This Statement

Words: 396
Length: 1 Pages
Type: Term Paper

She dislikes the way that members of the church use the name God to enforce their own temporal values and thoughts of sin. Although Dickinson believed: "This orld…

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1 Pages
Term Paper

Literature

Emily Dickinson the Writer Whose Work I

Words: 424
Length: 1 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Emily Dickinson The writer whose work I admire and most influences my work is Emily Dickinson. She was a reclusive person, having returned from school at age 18 and from…

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5 Pages
Term Paper

Literature

Emily Dickinson Embraces Death Because I Could

Words: 1271
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Emily Dickinson Embraces Death BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH He kindly stopped for me The Carriage held but just Ourselves And Immortality. We slowly drove He knew no haste And I had put away…

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4 Pages
Essay

Mythology - Religion

Emily Dickinson A View From

Words: 1193
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Essay

Death is indeed safe from the perspective that nothing in life can hurt or destroy. The dead are "untouched" (2) by everything and nothing. The "meek members of…

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1 Pages
Peer Reviewed Journal

Literature

Emily Dickinson Discussion Response it Never Ceases

Words: 396
Length: 1 Pages
Type: Peer Reviewed Journal

Emily Dickinson: Discussion Response It never ceases to amaze me how few of Emily Dickinson's poems were read during the author's lifetime and how she persevered in writing them for…

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1 Pages
Essay

Literature

Emily Dickinson Though She Was

Words: 330
Length: 1 Pages
Type: Essay

This poem talks of light in winter and compares it to a cathedral, and says that both kinds are "oppressive." It is not easy to figure out exactly…

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1 Pages
Peer Reviewed Journal

Death and Dying  (general)

Emily Dickinson Keetje Kuipers and Ruth Stone

Words: 350
Length: 1 Pages
Type: Peer Reviewed Journal

Emily Dickinson, Keetje Kuipers, and Ruth Stone all deal with the idea of death in their poems "Color - Caste -- Denomination," "My First Lover Returns from Iraq," and,…

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5 Pages
Research Paper

Literature

Emily Dickinson's Poem Wild Nights

Words: 1298
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Research Paper

(Jones, p. 49). These confessional poems are often "searing in their self-inquiry" and "harrowing to the reader" and typically take their metaphors from texts and paintings of Dickinson's…

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3 Pages
Term Paper

Literature

Emily Dickinson One of America's Greatest Poets

Words: 778
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Emily Dickinson, one of America's greatest poets, is known for the musical simplicity and taut, unrelieved expression of emotional truth in poems that are stark, austere, compact and often…

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