Emily Dickenson And The Theme Of Death
Emily Dickenson, an unconventional 19th century poet, used death as
the theme for many of her poems. Dickenson's poems offer a creative and
refreshingly different perspective on death and its effects on others. In
Dickenson's poems, death is often personified, and is also assigned to
personalities far different from the traditional "horror movie" roles.
Dickenson also combines imaginative diction with vivid imagery to create
astonishingly powerful poems.
In the 1862 poem, After Great pain, a formal feeling comes--, Emily
Dickenson presents death from the perspective of the bereaved. This poem
is written in the third person, and informs the reader as to the actions
and thoughts of the ...
Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers
|
diction in this passage creates an eerie atmosphere all by
itself. The effect of this passage is reminiscent of the famous macabre
monologue at the end of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Dickenson also
excellently portrays the restlessness of the mourners in this following
passage:
"The Feet, mechanical, go round--
Of Ground, or Air, or Ought--"
Describing the feet as "mechanical" shows the agitation and displacement of
the mourners. Also, in the next line, "Ought" most closely means
"Emptiness." Dickenson artistically shows us how the mourners are dealing
with their loss in this next passage:
"A Wooden way
Regardless grown,
A Quartz contentment, like a stone--"
To deal with their loss, the mourners have separated themselves from the
rest of the world. Their reaction to this catastrophe has become one of
denial, causing each to develop "A...contentment, like a stone--."
"Because I could not stop for death--," another famous Emily
Dickenson poem, renders a highly ...
Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.
Already a member? Login
|
CITE THIS PAGE:
Emily Dickenson And The Theme Of Death. (2005, July 16). Retrieved April 26, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Emily-Dickenson-And-The-Theme-Death/30168
"Emily Dickenson And The Theme Of Death." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 16 Jul. 2005. Web. 26 Apr. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Emily-Dickenson-And-The-Theme-Death/30168>
"Emily Dickenson And The Theme Of Death." Essayworld.com. July 16, 2005. Accessed April 26, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Emily-Dickenson-And-The-Theme-Death/30168.
"Emily Dickenson And The Theme Of Death." Essayworld.com. July 16, 2005. Accessed April 26, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Emily-Dickenson-And-The-Theme-Death/30168.
|
Save
Report