In 1862, American poet Emily Dickinson read an article in Atlantic Monthly by Thomas Wentworth Higginson entitled “Letter to a Young Contributor” that inspired her. “The article offered witty, practical advice to young writers, pointedly including women, and spoke of the glory of language and the power and mystery of the individual word—ideas that resonated with Dickinson’s own sense of craft” (Leiter 319). Dickinson personally connected with Higginson’s message because she felt that it directly related to her poetry. Additionally, she wrote to him and included her poem, “I’ll Tell You How the Sun Rose,” in which she describes picturesque details through descriptive observations. In “I’ll Tell You How the Sun Rose,” Emily Dickinson expresses the universal theme of beauty in nature through her use of metaphor and personification, as well as symbolism. …show more content…
Surely, it is not coincidental that Emily Dickinson utilizes this lively creature to symbolize nature. The bobolink’s yellow crown of feathers echoes the sun’s golden glow, while its melodious, sweet-sounding song distinguishes it from other birds. Unbound, with the ability to fly wherever it desires, the bobolink also represents freedom, and Dickinson refers to it in various poems. “She loved his jaunty, exhilarating song and associated him with joy, swagger, and with herself as the poet who keeps on singing, no matter what external disasters arrive” (Leiter 26). So, Dickinson includes the bobolink to represent nature, freedom, and her independent spirit. In sum, Emily Dickinson incorporates metaphor, personification, and symbolism to show the beauty of nature at its most glorious in “I’ll Tell You How the Sun