Queen Ahiwe
ENG 2327-5003
Prof Sidle Fall 2014
LITERARY ANALYSIS B: EMILY DICKINSON’S POEMS
The subject of death occurs in several of Emily Dickinson’s poems. Most of these poems show her fascination with death and dying; she almost appears to be obsessed with death. However, her poems have a matter-of-fact acceptance of the subject-death; and her views about death appear to be ambivalent.
The aim of this paper is to discuss extensively, the theme of death in Dickinson’s poems; as well as answer the following questions:
1. How does Dickinson’s views of death compare?
2. What was her attitude towards death and dying?
3. Was she afraid of death/dying?
4. Is there any evidence of after life in her poems?
To Emily Dickinson, death is an ultimate experience. It reveals the ultimate reality and truth. It …show more content…
She says “He kindly stopped for me” (Dickinson 1683). ‘He’ gave her a slow, and romantic ride, which she appears to enjoy. The ride signifies her leaving life, and she believed she was being transformed into immortality. She writes “the carriage held but just ourselves and immortality” (Dickinson 1683). The ride slowly takes them past “the school, where children strove…, the fields of gazing grain…, and the setting sun…, toward eternity” (Dickinson 1683). I believe she was narrating the life events before one dies, and then moves into eternal life- an evidence of life after death.
Emily’s poem “This world is not conclusion” (Dickinson 1678), suggests that she believed there is an afterlife. She believes that life does not end here on earth. She says “This world is not conclusion. A Specie stands beyond” (Dickinson 1678). Also, the way she narrates events that happen after one is already dead, such as in “I heard a fly buzz when I died” (Dickinson 1685), suggests that she believed there is some kind of life events still going on within an individual after he
ENG 2327-5003
Prof Sidle Fall 2014
LITERARY ANALYSIS B: EMILY DICKINSON’S POEMS
The subject of death occurs in several of Emily Dickinson’s poems. Most of these poems show her fascination with death and dying; she almost appears to be obsessed with death. However, her poems have a matter-of-fact acceptance of the subject-death; and her views about death appear to be ambivalent.
The aim of this paper is to discuss extensively, the theme of death in Dickinson’s poems; as well as answer the following questions:
1. How does Dickinson’s views of death compare?
2. What was her attitude towards death and dying?
3. Was she afraid of death/dying?
4. Is there any evidence of after life in her poems?
To Emily Dickinson, death is an ultimate experience. It reveals the ultimate reality and truth. It …show more content…
She says “He kindly stopped for me” (Dickinson 1683). ‘He’ gave her a slow, and romantic ride, which she appears to enjoy. The ride signifies her leaving life, and she believed she was being transformed into immortality. She writes “the carriage held but just ourselves and immortality” (Dickinson 1683). The ride slowly takes them past “the school, where children strove…, the fields of gazing grain…, and the setting sun…, toward eternity” (Dickinson 1683). I believe she was narrating the life events before one dies, and then moves into eternal life- an evidence of life after death.
Emily’s poem “This world is not conclusion” (Dickinson 1678), suggests that she believed there is an afterlife. She believes that life does not end here on earth. She says “This world is not conclusion. A Specie stands beyond” (Dickinson 1678). Also, the way she narrates events that happen after one is already dead, such as in “I heard a fly buzz when I died” (Dickinson 1685), suggests that she believed there is some kind of life events still going on within an individual after he