TRAM TRAN
Introduction
For an individual that had considerable talent in writing, Emily Dickinson lived her life in isolation. She kept few friends and spent her time mostly in her home. Despite the prominent status of her family, she was quiet and reserved. Occasionally, her father hosted families that were connected to the institution, a college, where he was the treasurer (Higginson). Prominent people in the two would also attend. However, a key observation is that Emily would play the role of hostess. After such an event, Emily would “[withdraw] again into her seclusion, and except for a very few friends was as invisible to the world as if she had dwelt in a nunnery” (Higginson, iv). Through the lens of Emily’s persona, her poems are largely centered within the mega theme of existence. One of the themes that is presented in the books is life. Within this theme, Emily wrote various poems such as “Success”, “Almost”, “In a Library” among others. A dominant element in these poems is that Emily speaks about life from the context of the experiences that people are going through at a particular time. In essence, Emily focuses on moments which demonstrates the intent to emphasize on how experiences shape individuals’ perspectives about their existence. For instance, in “A Wounded Deer- Leaps Highest” Emily writes “A wounded deer leaps highest/I’ve heard the hunter tell/T is but the ecstasy of death” (I-IV, 20). In these particular lines, Emily talks about the impact of the imminence of death. Here, the wounded deer could be Tran 2 presented as being symbolic of how human beings are likely to react when the reality of their existence is threatened. Further, it follows that death is an inevitability that cannot be avoided. However, it is implicitly implied that the manner in which one ceases to exist is of great concern to human beings.
Alongside the theme of life, Emily does shed light on nature which is a crucial part of existence. Human beings interact with nature on a daily basis. Their quality of interaction is likely to influence one’s perception of life and the essence of existence. In verse two of her poem, “Why”, Dickinson writes, “The red upon the hill/Taketh away my will/If anybody sneer/Take care, God is here/That’s all” (IV-X, 71). Here, Dickinson talks about being in a situation where she has no control. The inclusion of God in this verse reflects on Dickinson’s spiritual beliefs. She appears to believe in God as the supreme or divine being. For that reason, Dickinson can be considered to have been particular sensitive about her spiritual wellbeing.
In an article, Barbara Zawadzka notes that Dickinson embodied a kind of internal order that separated her from egotism. Through such description and with reference to the cited poem, Dickinson appears to acknowledge the existence of a supreme being, one that has power over human beings and is the cause of existence.
Based on the nature of her poetry, it is safer to state that Dickinson was largely obsessed with death. In fact, as a sub-theme, death plays a crucial role in projecting her views toward life and in consequence, the reason for existence. Alqaryouti and Sadek write that “One of the factors that contributed to Dickinson’s obsession with death was her isolation from the society” (17).
Such an observation provides support for the recurrence of the topic of death across most of her poems. For instance, in the poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, Dickinson is said to view death as the end of worldly existence and the beginning of an eternal life (Alqaryouti and Sadek). Therefore, based on her spirituality, Dickinson could be said to have explored existence through death. She appears to have particular interest in understand the events that take place after one dies. Her interest in confirming eternal life is descriptive of the pressure of existence in the first place. It is common experience for individuals to question why they exist in the first place. While in isolation, Dickinson appears to have made peace with the fact that death is imminent, but that there is a possibility of eternal life.
Conclusion
An analysis and review of Dickinson’s collection of poems reveals her unapologetic and unbridled attitude towards life and the concept of existence. Her boldness is evident in the manner of writing and the questions that she poses regarding the meaning of life. Although not explicitly in some cases, she does point to the frailties inherent in human beings such as susceptibility to death. One can observe that Dickinson’s life in isolation allowed her the opportunity to view and describe life without external influence from friends or the society. That explains the degree of richness and authenticity in her poetry which continues to provoke different interpretations even in modern literature. Her personality penetrates through the different poems revealing a degree of freedom that supported her desire and passion for literature.
Works Cited
Alqaryouti, Marwan, and Ala E. Sadeq. “Vision of Death in Emily Dickinson’s Selected Poems.” Asian Social Science, vol. 13, no. 5, 2017, pp. 16–23.
Dickinson, Emily. Preface. Poems by Emily Dickinson, by Higginson, Thomas, Roberts Brothers, 1890, pp. iii-iv.
Dickinson, Emily. Poems by Emily Dickinson. Roberts Brothers, 1890. Print.
Zawadzka, Barbara. “Motifs and themes in Emily Dickinson’s poems translated by Ludmila Marjanska.” World Scientific News: An International Scientific Journal, vo. 123, 2019, pp. 220–233.
