Emily Dickinson’s poetry has been a source of inspiration for many people. Emily was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10, 1830 and died there on May 15, 1886. Emily wrote over 1800 poems during her life that were discovered by her sister Lavinia after Emily’s death. Emily publicly shared fewer than a dozen of these poems during her life. Emily wrote in a style of poetry called “fugitive poetry” which Emily used to express her feelings and emotions with the use of metaphors and imagery.
Emily’s poems were often about love, death, and immortality among other things Emily Dickinson considered important throughout her life. Emily was known for wearing white when she went out (due to an inherited condition that makes skin extra-sensitive to sunlight) and only saw family members when absolutely necessary; Emily also never married or had children. Emily is admired by many people today for her strong sense of self, her unique writing style, and ability to be herself without conforming to society’s norms.
Emily did not publish any more of her work after Emily was 22. Emily Dickinson’s poetry is still widely read today and Emily is considered one of the most significant poets in the English language. What Emily Dickinson’s poetry means to me: Emily Dickinson has inspired many people through her poems, with their clear imagery and powerful messages. Emily showed all people that they should not be afraid to be different, especially if they are confident in themselves like Emily was.
Emily lived out her life as she wanted by staying true to herself, writing what she felt without censoring herself, and keeping her inner circle tight-knit; this way of life truly resonates with me because I try to stay true to myself through my actions (not cutting class); words (I would never gossip about others); and the things I like (I only buy items that I really like or find necessary). Emily Dickinson’s poetry helps me stay strong in my beliefs and keep pushing forward because Emily showed all people, through her poems, that it is okay to be different.
Emily also taught me that everyone has a lesson to teach us if we are willing to listen; Emily’s lessons for me would be that you should not conform to society’s views of how you should act or dress, but rather do what makes YOU happy; another lesson Emily teaches is don’t underestimate yourself because great accomplishments can often come from those who are underestimated by others (such as Emily herself).
Her satirical approach to the subject of faith in “Faith” may have been a result of this strict religious upbringing. In Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Success Is Counted Sweetest,” Emily Dickinson speaks to the people who are living in her time about how successful they are in life, but she warns them that true happiness is not found by seeking out worldly things. Emily discusses how success can be misleading because ultimately it does not bring you happiness and it can lead to sorrow and despair.
Emily’s message was for people who were becoming too caught up with success that they then became obsessed with money and power. Emily Dickinson uses enjambment throughout this poem by using run-on sentences so readers could follow along better with what she was trying to say. Emily Dickinson also uses sound devices through alliteration and assonance in this poem. Emily Dickinson’s rhythm is inconsistent throughout the poem which could be why she chose to use enjambment because Emily wanted readers to focus more on what she was saying instead of how it sounded when read aloud.
Emily Dickinson’s “Success Is Counted Sweetest” is a short, but powerful poem that discusses how success can bring you down if you are not smarter with your money and power. “I dwell in possibility” Emily Dickinson may have been speaking about her life specifically or possibly for everyone who struggles with depression or mental illness, although there is no evidence to prove either one without critical review of the entirety of Emily Dickinson’s poems. Emily Dickinson was often reclusive and spent most of her life in her room writing poetry, rarely socializing with anyone else.
Emily’s poem “I dwell in possibility” made it seem like Emily spent most of her time living in the past or possibly even the future because Emily speaks about dwelling on what has already taken place instead of focusing on what is taking place right then, which could be seen as strange for someone who wanted to live in the present. Emily Dickinson uses internal rhyme at the end of each stanza within this poem which helps make this poem flow more smoothly while also giving it a musical sound when read aloud.
Emily Dickenson’s rhythm is once again inconsistent throughout this poem; she changes the way the sentence is structured each time which keeps readers on their toes. Emily Dickinson’s “I dwell in Possibility” could be interpreted as Emily struggling to focus her energy on what was happening at that very moment instead of dwelling on what has already occurred. Emily could also be speaking metaphorically about living inside one’s own head and thoughts; Emily believed she was always thinking about things that she would never say out loud to anyone else because they were too personal.
Emily Dickinson uses an agricultural metaphor throughout the poem “A— twill live till it’s sere—” where Emily is talking about life but also referring to death, making this poem eerily somber. Emily Dickinson begins by describing how flowers are beautiful when they are in full bloom, but Emily speaks about how quickly these beautiful flowers turn brown and die which Emily views as tragic. Emily Dickinson then continues on with the agricultural metaphor by continuing to compare life to a flower.
Emily uses personification when she is talking about how “frost shall freeze the pretty flowers” making it seem like Emily believes that frost will actually intentionally kill these flowers. Emily goes on to say how there is nothing you can do once this has happened because the only way out of this is death; death is slow unlike nature where things move swiftly throughout Emily’s poem. Emily ends her poem with another personification saying “A— twill live till it’s sere—/ And yet not live—” Emily Dickinson’s “A twill live till it’s sere” is a poem where Emily speaks about life and death in an agricultural metaphor.
Emily Dickinson personifies nature by using words such as “frost” and “flowers” to make what Emily was saying seem more powerful because it makes you think, giving the reader time to contemplate Emily’s words. Emily Dickenson uses repetition throughout this poem which gives the reader a sense of suspense because Emily keeps bringing up death but never actually says that she is going to die at any moment in her poem.
