Emily Dickinson was a poet who used many different devices to develop her poetry, which made her style quite unique. A glance at one of her poems may lead one to believe that she was quite a simple poet, although a closer examination of her verse would uncover the complexity it contains.
Dickinson’s poem ” I felt a Funeral, in my Brain”, is a prime example of complicity embodied by simple style and language. In this piece, Dickinson chronicles psychic fall. The use of many different devices such as sound, repetition, and metaphors, all help to develop the theme of the poem.
Perhaps the best way for the reader to uncover the meaning of the poem at hand is to have a glance into the world of the poet. Emily Dickinson lived alone (emotionally) in a world she filled with her poetry and letters. Dickinson rejected her upbringing and religious background which, in turn, acted to sever her ties with the other people in her society. Much of her poetry served her as a type of therapy in which she could record and sort her thoughts and feelings. She did not write for an audience. This is an important fact to know when one reads her intimate poetry and tries to make sense of it. It could be implied that she did not feel the world was in any way constant, and it is as if her poetry was a reflection of this. Much of her poetry is about a reaction to a certain situation, and there is a great deal of contradiction in her work. Dickinson’s poem “I Felt a Funeral in my Brain” records an intimate battle within herself.
The first stanza of the poem serves as an introduction to the reader. It tells of how the poet invisions her men…
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…iety in which she lived, and her rejection of it had consequences. Poems such as the one at hand illustrate the occurrence of church in all aspects of life, and even though she chose not to accept it, it was still a part of her. Her outward resentment towards the church left a void in her life which, one could assume, acted as a catalyst for the mental breakdown that she depicts in this poem.
Emily Dickinson was a poet that was very different from other poets of her time. The fact that she withdrew herself from society and that she was a woman made her poetry quite unique. Because she had no contact with other poets of her time, her style was quite original. Because she was not writing for an audience, many of her poems are deeply personal. It is up to the readers of Dickinson’s poetry to remove themselves from reality, and escape into the many corners of her mind.
An Analysis of Frost’s Tree at my Window
An Analysis of Frost’s “Tree at my Window”
The poem “Tree at my Window” was written by Robert Frost, an America poet who was born in 1874 and died in 1963 (DiYanni 624). The narrator in this poem appears to be speaking to the “tree at my window”; then, repeating the phrase in reverse order, he calls it the “window tree,” as if to emphasize the location and nearness of the tree. Calling the tree a “window tree,” might also suggest that this tree is something he sees through, perhaps to some higher truth, to something beyond the mere physical presence of the tree.
As night approaches, the “sash” or movable portion of the window is lowered, perhaps to prevent the air, cooled from lack of the sun’s warmth, from entering the house (Webster 1026). The narrator continues, “But let there never be curtain drawn / Between you and me.” Literally, this statement could imply that he does not want a drape to cover the window betwen them. A sense of foreboding arises if one looks at additional definitions. “Curtain” can refer to death and “drawn” can refer to being brought about by inducement or being allured (Webster 280, 346).
The narrator begins the second stanza mentioning a dream that is unclear. He then stops short and continues, seemingly describing the appearance of the tree. Referring to “head lifted out of the ground, / Not all your light tonuges taliking aloud / could be profound.” Perhaps the speaker could be describing the vastness of the tree’s height and width along with the magnitude of leaves. Comparing tongues to leaves is a possibility because, as the wind rushes through them, it causes a distinct sound. The speaker may even believe that the tree has insight to his feelings (Webster …
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…four, the speaker compares “outer” and “inner” lives.
“Tree at my Window” contains descriptions and comparisons that almost bring an image to one’s mind. Perhaps I have been able to relate to this poem because I have often looked out of the window at the trees and mountains in the distance and contemplated some dilemma. Perhaps we could all learn from nature not to be so anxious about things that in the long run run do not really even matter.
Works Cited
Cox, James, M. Robert Frost: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1962.
DiYanni, Robert. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994.
Thompson, Lawrence. Robert Frost: The Early Years 1874-1915 New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966.
Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. Massachusetts: G