Analyzing The Poem 'The Thought Beneath So Slight A Film'

Emily Dickenson has an openly bleak way of looking at the world. “The Thought Beneath So Slight a Film,” is one of her many short poems. Her works have a gothic style that changes with her mood. The day she wrote this, I imagine that she was watching people out her window. It is easy to judge a book by its cover, but the cover is meant to engage you. Here Emily is artfully saying that even with a hint of distraction or decoration, a whole picture is still seen. Whether looking at people, mountains, or even clothing, there may be a layer of concealment. It appears that she sees the layer of obstruction as more of an accent.

The thought beneath so slight a film –
Is more distinctly seen –
As laces just reveal the surge –
Or Mists – the Apennine.

The first line in this poem is “The thought beneath so slight a film.” A person’s thoughts can only be expressed through words or actions. Emily says that the words that express thoughts are the film. The film we must endure to understand or see the thought. Words can be eloquent or messy. Words can outline or express a thought, or they can jumble up and confuse a thought into obscurity. Whether the words …show more content…
The mist gives an elusive sense of mystery to the mountain. It is opaque like lace. Another curtain of slight distraction. The mist can intensify the imagination of the onlooker
.
Apennine is a specific mountain range in Italy. However, any mountain with mist would have the same meaning here. Her use of the word distinctly its ironic since she is bringing attention to indistinct tinsel that decorates everyday objects that are familiar. Emily’s word choice is famously distinct. She looks for words that will have double meanings and several possibilities for interpretation. She wants the reader to catch the metaphors. She hopes the reader stops to think about each subject she alludes to or blatantly