Dickinson’s Way Of Writing is Explored in The Imagination

Category: Love, Marriage, Poetry, The Pearl
Last Updated: 10 Feb 2023
Pages: 11 Views: 170

In “I started early-Took my Dog,” creates a sense of imagination and plays with the sea which I feel is also included in “She Rose to His Requirement-drop?” As mentioned, the sea can be understood to be the husband in which case the wife is burying her thoughts, ideas, and dreams with the water and utilizes the pearls and weed to cover it. The fathoms would be the eternal suffrage caused by the husband. So if the description of the sea is clear, would that make the poem open to imagination and playfulness in a sense? I consider that Dickinson’s way of writing gives each poem the ability to explore in imagination while reading since the metaphors and similes make certain connections. But, also adding on I believe that the sudden line breaks that are used throughout the poem create a slight pause which allows formulating of conclusions of what is occurring.

I feel that in that sense it is playful because the reader is able to make their own assumptions of the roles of each object, yet the conclusion of what specifically is being missed is still unknown. Even though, it may not be quite clear as to what the wife would be missing specifically it is understood by keywords such as “playthings of her life” that her life of being able to do things she enjoys is no longer there. In this case, “but only to himself-be known,” can be interpreted as only him knowing the depths and “fathoms,” or in other words how deep the woman’s emotions go. The sea plays an important role in the position of both the male and female relationship since it is representing the woman’s silence that is placed firmly due to the pressure of the masculine authority. In this case, the sea gives the understanding that women’s desires similar to the sea are kept within, yet can emerge at any second without warning.

The idea is that in marriage a woman sacrifices the “playthings of her life,” since they are kept underwater and are not able to reach the surface any longer. Would it be considered that the playthings are her childhood? The idea is that once she becomes a married woman she no longer can go back to that lifestyle. The poem gives a wide imagination as to what the wife is missing out on since it is understood that the masculine figure is in control of the woman although assumptions can be made as to what she specifically is missing out on. I feel to a certain point it is quite open to the imagination since the word choice allows to make a story out of the woman’s life, but also in some ways it’s not as open as the prior poem since both the character and sea were intertwining which made it more clear as to what was happening.In Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Wild Nights, Wild Nights”I think the usage of sea as a figure of speech can be understood to mean a sense of passion or emotion.

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The poem gives a sense of being wild yet comforting. The term “Wild Nights” being both passionate love and wild with the weather at sea. The repetition of “Wild nights” gives a sense of intensity right from the beginning. It gives a quick placement within the storm. The sea is used to be compared with love. Love being a very powerful emotion within the human body which transcends all types of restrictions. The idea that Dickinson is speaking about the wild nights with an absent lover. The usage of imagining to be a sailor in the stormy sea in search of this profound love. The use of words such as port, compass, and chart can be interpreted as a home in which you are currently lost and are looking for a way back. In this case, the sea in the poem is used to suggest literal stormy nights and nights of passion. Yet, the speaker turns to a different perspective of the imagined sea where there seems to be no danger anymore, but rather have reached a place in which the boat can rest.

For instance, in the last stanza, she utilizes “Ah!” as a way to explain the pleasure of finally being with her beloved which is shown through the image of the sea and harbor. The poem represents a passionate love in a quite paradoxical way since it seems to be dangerous yet secure at the same time. The idea that the harbor would be a place in which the love she would be able to achieve would lead to a place of safety even within the wildness. The speaker is comparing her heart to the port and making it clear that it doesn’t require any sort of navigation to reach her destination. The port would be portraying her beloved which would be her safety area amongst the rough sea. The last stanza definitely completes the water imagery in the poem.

The “Rowing in Eden” and “moor..” can be understood to be a sexual passion. Although utilizing the phrase, “Rowing in Eden” would create a biblical connection within the poem? Eden as portrayed in the Bible is in an earthly paradise which would symbolize a more calm sea in comparison to the beginning of the poem. So, it can be interpreted as maybe wanting to get closer to God or trying to get close to love. Overall, the poem depicts the obstacles and harsh realities that romance can undergo throughout the journey. The sea allows her to be given a sense of being small and vulnerable, yet once she reaches her love she is able to be wild, but also be at peace.In Emily Dickinson’s poems such as “Best Things dwell out of Sight” she uses the image of the Pearl, which is bringing an emphasis in the benefits and wonders of seeing all the things that are around us in the world. Yet, in this case what if the best things are out of sight?

In my opinion, I think that the Pearl is used by Dickinson especially in this specific poem because the idea that one may appreciate the things that aren't as obvious to the public eye may sometimes be the most beautiful. Pearls are quite rare and not seen amongst society that often. The pearl being this beautiful gem that shines brightens to the world. The pearl will bring happiness to a world that is filled with no sense of liberation. In relation to Dickinson’s life since she lived a life of loneliness in a sense so it may take on the image of the Pearl that is actually representing her since she acts out of sight. In this case, the poem is creating an image of nature in which it comes into conflict with certain boundaries. But why did Dickinson specifically focus on a Pearl? Why are the best things in life being hidden by society? Could this idea be formed with another object and still have the same effect on people?

But, now looking back to these poems throughout the unit, I come to realize that maybe Dickinson uses the pearl in a more literal way. The pearl being able to escape the shelled barrier, yet remaining protected against the outside world. I understand that the Pearl is quite fitting in this sense since it's a glistening object that hides within a shelled mollusk or another animal which makes it unnoticeable to the public eye. In the poem, I feel that the use of pearls makes it clear that in life many things are not seen at first glance or maybe not at all, but yet they make a huge difference once they are achieved. In the second stanza, it states, “Legitimate, and Rare,” which claims that it is rare to find such a gem without even looking for it, so if it comes to your hands it is remarkable.In Emily Dickinson’s Poem 194, is a quite short poem which by the title instantly conveys a religious theme that ultimately conveys her thoughts about womanhood within society.

I think the poem is being told explaining the view of the life of a married woman. Would the poem be from the perspective of an actual married woman? Or would it be told from the perspective of a single woman? So, the poem is focusing on two social ideas which are religion and marriage. The beginning of the poem “Title divine-is mine!/The Wife-without the Sign!” is creating an excitement about the new possibilities that marriage is to offer. The idea of being divine is giving a sense of power by having this title. Although, in the end of the poem it uses the word “calvary” which is a representation of images of Jesus Christ being crucified which ultimately is giving a sensation of extreme suffering. Would it try to give an understanding that ultimately a marriage will end badly? To my understanding of this poem it begins with the wedding being a sense of victory and ends up with the concept of death, so it can represent marriage as the midpoint between birth and death and how marriage is ultimately the consumption of a woman’s life.

The lines “Born-Bridalled-Shrouded” are representing a woman’s conventional destiny in society in which they are expected to be born, marry, and die. Although, the use of bridalled is similar to the idea of being bridled which is when horses are being harnessed. Does this mean that marriage isn’t portrayed as something tremendously horrible? Or does the idea that Emily Dickinson was not married affect the way in which marriage is portrayed in this poem as well as others? Furthermore, would the poem maybe symbolize the way in which women are controlled by men and that they are there to simply please them. The author makes it seem as to whether female's lives are supposed to be simply focused on this belief. The idea of marriage in order to have the title of being called a wife and to have a husband is quite exciting in the life of women, yet the fact of actually dealing with the responsibilities may be undesirable.

Women are assumed to be the backbone of men in which they are always there by their side despite the struggles and ultimately they receive the worst part in the relationship. The sensation of feeling multiple sensations all at once when married. The idea that one may feel like royalty given the title of a wife and being able to say that you have a husband, yet life can be so complicated because so many things change. Women being placed in this position which seems like a never ending cycle. In Lecture 1, I mentioned how I believed that “She Rose to His Requirement-dropt” allowed the sea to create a sense of imagination throughout the poem. Although, now with further understanding the concept of end-stopped lines which occurs quite often throughout the poem it is clear that it may lead to a sudden end, yet the following lines continues that specific idea. For instance, “She Rose to His Requirement-dropt (1),” and then continues “the Playthings of her Life” which gives the understanding of what precisely is being dropped from her life.

In this specific structure of the poem, each stanza can basically be put in a sentence even though it contains end-stopped lines. The images of the sea give the idea of beautiful pearls, yet also the other aspect of dirty with the image of the weeds which can ultimately be a metaphor in which marriage can have both the bright side and the not so pleasant side to it. The image of a pearl is considered to be a beautiful object that comes from nature, while weed is not portrayed with any importance. So, furthering my thoughts from the first lecture response I believe that not only is man viewed as the sea, but rather compared to the pearl while weed symbolizes the women. The image that the poet gives in which the sea hides the pearls and weeds gives an understanding that only the sea can see the depths within itself.

So, similar to the woman she is the only one capable of sensing her emotions within herself. But, also can be viewed in a completely different aspect such as the women’s ideas and emotions being suppressed just like a pearl being hidden inside the clam which in this case would be the man. The man would be the only individual being seen by society while the woman is unknown. The comparison of women to the weed which would mean that even though they have much potential they will always remain unchangeable. So, ultimately the images that are given throughout the poem with the sea in relation to marriage allows for multiple interpretations of what would be the position of each individual. The format of the poem such as the use of end-stopped lines, enjambment, and the figures of speech utilized gives the reader the ability to formulate their own perspective of what the sea connects to in relation to the aspect of marriage.

Edward Hirsch’s description on short lines when it comes to communicating an emotion can be understood sometimes as less being more. When the line structure is short and simple it tends to create tension or urgency, contrary to longer lines that create a slower understanding and ultimately portrays a more formal text. The short lines create a natural pause that gives the reader space to consider what is being said by the poet, which creates a bigger impact. A distinctive element that is used in Emily Dickinson’s poetry is the use of dashes. The use of figurative language causes the reader to see the images that she is trying to describe which is successful with fewer words creating a stronger emphasis.

Dickinson’s poem “Wild nights-Wild nights,” is a perfect example of lines that are short, yet powerful in the sense that they give the opportunity to expand in imagination while reading. The first line, “Wild nights- Wild nights!” is resulting in the repetition which adds emphasis making it the most important. Although, it is not clear in the text what exactly night is referring to, one may assume that it is a night of passion whether it be sexaully or in relation to nature. The use of “Wild nights” especially placed in the beginning of the poem creates a double meaning all throughout. Something must have occurred that was astonishing in order for it to be considered wild. In relation to Hirsch’s description, poems that are reduced in syllables tend to create greater concentration and a sense of liberation in order to truly understand the deeper meaning.

In addition, the ten syllable or blank verse line creates a sensation as if the poem is an actual conversation in which the readers can more easily engage with and understand. Dickinson’s distinctive features in her writing such as the dashes and capitalization of nouns gives a reenactment of the experience in a more delayed way, yet controlled which is quite successful. The end-stopped lines and enjambment creates the meaning to continue growing as the poem is unfolding. Dickinson is able to compress language and change the function of certain words which creates breathtaking effects. In poem #185, “A Wife-at Daybreak-I shall be-,” Dickinson in a discreet way creates a new perspective of the you pronoun which either adds or removes the prior conclusion.

In the final lines, “Eternity- I’m coming- Sir,” gives a powerful statement since eternity in marriage can be viewed both negatively or positively while on the other hand, eternity can also be interpreted as death. The sense of subtraction as mentioned by Hirsch in connection to this poem creates complexity which enhances the potential options that can be addressed. Overall, connecting Hirsch’s idea of short lines with Dickinson’s form of writing makes it clear that even though many thoughts can be missing within a poem the silence is ultimately much greater since the reader is able to form more thoughts with the slight pauses and space of emptiness provided. The short lines tend to be read at a much faster pace, yet with much more emotion since the words chosen are giving purpose and emphasis which creates a bigger meaning for the poem.

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Dickinson’s Way Of Writing is Explored in The Imagination. (2023, Feb 10). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/dickinsons-way-of-writing-is-explored-in-the-imagination/

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