Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Emily Dickinson needs no introduction
Emily Dickinson needs no introduction. One of the most prolific and renowned poets in the literary world, Dickinson still remains largely a mystery. She is often labeled as a lifelong recluse who did nothing but sit in her attic all day and scribble poetry. However, Dickinsonââ¬â¢s poetry reveals a soul keenly in tune with the human condition. The simple and always relatable poetry of Dickinson serves as her greatest autobiography, and as a testament to humanity itself. She was and remains the master of capturing emotion in a literary statue.Happiness, anger, envy, surpriseââ¬âevery feeling that man has ever felt flowed from Dickinsonââ¬â¢s pen at some point. One subject contains all of these emotions, and this subject both haunted and fascinated Emily Dickinson throughout her life: death. The poet wrote passionately about death many times, but one poemââ¬âone imageââ¬âin particular resonated with readers in its stark, memorable simplicity. In ââ¬Å"I heard a fly b uzz when I died,â⬠Dickinson masterfully interweaves tone, style, and imagery to capture a speaker in the midst of lifeââ¬â¢s greatest questioning challengeâ⬠¦. its own conclusion.In the poem, lifeââ¬â¢s end is represented through the persona of a dying individual. The condition of the terminally ill speaker emerges through the poemââ¬â¢s compact, simplistic, yet conflicted structure and in its one powerful symbolic theme. Consider, for example, the simple sounds which recur and reinforce the speakerââ¬â¢s thoughts. Soft ââ¬Ëwââ¬â¢ (ââ¬Å"Wasâ⬠(3), ââ¬Å"wereâ⬠(6), ââ¬Å"whenâ⬠(7), ââ¬Å"witnessedâ⬠(8), ââ¬Å"willedâ⬠(9), ââ¬Å"whatâ⬠(10), ââ¬Å"withâ⬠(13), ââ¬Å"windowsâ⬠(15)) and ââ¬Ësââ¬â¢ (ââ¬Å"signedâ⬠(9), ââ¬Å"seeâ⬠(16), ââ¬Å"assignableâ⬠(11)) sounds give the language a sighing quality, perhaps the labored breaths of someone whose every breath is a precious commodit y.Yet these soft sounds are accentuated by an aggressive assault of ââ¬Ëstââ¬â¢ syllables (ââ¬Å"stillnessâ⬠(3), ââ¬Å"stormâ⬠(4), ââ¬Å"stumblingâ⬠(13)), as if the speaker is struggling with a mental block of resistance. Death also looms in the aphoristic nature of the speakerââ¬â¢s language. With just a few well-chosen words (a dying breath)ââ¬âââ¬Å"stillnessâ⬠(3), ââ¬Å"wrungâ⬠(5), ââ¬Å"stormâ⬠(4), ââ¬Å"stumblingâ⬠(13)ââ¬âthe speaker provides powerful insight into the complex feelings which accompany death. Who else but a dying person would understand the value of quality over quantity?This human conflict is further reinforced by the alternating long and short lines which constitute the final stanzas. While the opening stanzas form near-perfect boxes (the very symbol of control), the frenzied push-pull of the speakerââ¬â¢s closing thoughts offers a concrete snapshot of the inner turmoil that surrounds impendin g death. The moment of transformation for the speakerââ¬âfrom peaceful resolve to subtle panicââ¬âis highlighted by a ââ¬Å"Dickinson Dashâ⬠(Milani, ââ¬Å"Dickinson Analysisâ⬠) ââ¬Å"â⬠¦.Could make assignable,ââ¬âand then/There interposed a flyâ⬠(11-12). Can the majesty of death be reduced to a mere flyââ¬â¢s presence? Is the majesty merely an illusion? (Frankowski, ââ¬Å"Deathâ⬠) The fly itself is the anchor symbol in a speakerââ¬â¢s mindset largely devoid of elaborate imagery (Frankowski, ââ¬Å"Deathâ⬠). Throughout the poem, the speaker eludes to a need for some magical spiritual fulfillment: ââ¬Å"And breaths were gathering sure/For that last onset, when the king/Be witnessed in his powerâ⬠(6-8).However, the only constantââ¬âthe only true anchorââ¬âfor the speaker as death approaches is the ââ¬Å"uncertain, stumbl[ing], buzz[ing]â⬠¦flyâ⬠(12-13). Does the small creature steal away the speakerââ¬â¢s peace by standing ââ¬Å"Between the lights and meâ⬠(14)? Or does the flyââ¬â¢s final farewell (its auditory buzz) remind the speaker that he or she need not ââ¬Å"see to seeâ⬠(16). Does true sight come from the eyes, or does true sightââ¬âtrue light in factââ¬âshine from a higher source?Perhaps the speakerââ¬â¢s musings are not random, but a confessed realization to the most enlightened audience of all, the Creator Himself. Why might one assume that the speaker is addressing God? First, and most simply, the speakerââ¬â¢s narrative occurs after death: ââ¬Å"I heard a fly buzz when I diedâ⬠(1). Yet evidence for the speakerââ¬â¢s intended audience also appears on a deeper level. The abstract diction of the speaker suggests a metaphysical plane: ââ¬Å"stillnessâ⬠(3), ââ¬Å"formâ⬠(3), ââ¬Å"breathsâ⬠(6), ââ¬Å"powerâ⬠(8), ââ¬Å"lightâ⬠(14), ââ¬Å"airâ⬠(3), and even the formless ââ¬Å"buzzâ⬠(1).Furth er, the formal tone (ââ¬Å"The stillness round my formâ⬠(2); ââ¬Å"What portion of me I/Could make assignableâ⬠(10-11)) carried throughout the piece would likely be reserved for only the most respected and wise of listeners. In addition, the iambic trimeter rhythm (Milani, ââ¬Å"Dickinson Analysisâ⬠) of the speakerââ¬â¢s words and the traditional ABCB rhyme scheme summons a classic adherence to timeless laws and beauty. A dying speaker and a celestial audience provide the most powerful backdrop for the poemââ¬â¢s ultimate theme: mental and spiritual conflict.
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