Figurative language is used throughout writing to help illustrate the author’s writing. One common form of figurative language is irony. When using irony in a poem, the reader may stop to reflect on the writing. This gives the reader a moment to determine if what they are reading has more than one meaning. Emily Dickinson uses irony throughout her poems in order to help get her point across. “I stepped from Plank to Plank” is an example of how she uses irony in poems. She talks about moving from plank to plank, but this can be interpreted as her moving through life. When she says, “a slow and cautious way” she is referring to how she is being precautious about how she walks on the planks (line 2). One has to tread through life carefully.
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Lots of power and anger can lead to dangerous situations. The speaker expresses how they feel as if they have been weighed down. The speaker has lots of anger built up inside of them. They feel trapped, “In Corners- till a Day” (line 2). The speaker goes out to the woods and hunts a doe. Feeling enraged by the owners, the speaker goes to put their mind at ease. This trip helps the speaker calm down and recollect their thoughts before acting irrational. The Eider- Ducks are known for picking their own feather. This symbolizes the self-destruction that the speaker is feeling. The gun can be seen as a physically loaded gun or the speaker can be seen as a loaded gun herself. The irony in this poem is the loaded gun is dangerous, but self-destruction can be as dangerous as a loaded gun. Daniel Guillory states, “In Emily Dickinson, she is that wisest of guides: outspoken when necessary, informative, knowledgeable, and above all sensitive to the silences and dark places that will always be part of the Emily Dickinson story” (Guillory). Emily writes about situations where she sometimes goes to dark places to gain knowledge about herself. The loaded gun that Emily Dickinson is referring to herself and her writing. Emily Dickinson uses irony throughout this poem to help the reader reflect and ponder about the …show more content…
“A narrow Fellow in the Grass” is a poem about nature. The nature in the poem symbolizes peace. The speaker in “A narrow Fellow in the Grass” states, “I feel for them a transport/ Of Cordiality” (line 19-20). He feels as if he connects with nature on another level. When the speaker sees the snake, he is not pleased. Although one reader might think that this poem is about a snake, another reader might see that the snake could represent the evil slithering into a life. This is ironic in the poem because the snake can represent fear. Nobody wants to feel as if they are scared or have to be scared during their life. Howard Faulkner states, “Dickinson concludes with a potent description of her true feelings about the snake, “Zero at the Bone,” a phrase that well reflects her emotion during most confrontations” (Faulkner). Emily Dickinson may have used irony to convey her emotions that she was feeling in her
Lots of power and anger can lead to dangerous situations. The speaker expresses how they feel as if they have been weighed down. The speaker has lots of anger built up inside of them. They feel trapped, “In Corners- till a Day” (line 2). The speaker goes out to the woods and hunts a doe. Feeling enraged by the owners, the speaker goes to put their mind at ease. This trip helps the speaker calm down and recollect their thoughts before acting irrational. The Eider- Ducks are known for picking their own feather. This symbolizes the self-destruction that the speaker is feeling. The gun can be seen as a physically loaded gun or the speaker can be seen as a loaded gun herself. The irony in this poem is the loaded gun is dangerous, but self-destruction can be as dangerous as a loaded gun. Daniel Guillory states, “In Emily Dickinson, she is that wisest of guides: outspoken when necessary, informative, knowledgeable, and above all sensitive to the silences and dark places that will always be part of the Emily Dickinson story” (Guillory). Emily writes about situations where she sometimes goes to dark places to gain knowledge about herself. The loaded gun that Emily Dickinson is referring to herself and her writing. Emily Dickinson uses irony throughout this poem to help the reader reflect and ponder about the …show more content…
“A narrow Fellow in the Grass” is a poem about nature. The nature in the poem symbolizes peace. The speaker in “A narrow Fellow in the Grass” states, “I feel for them a transport/ Of Cordiality” (line 19-20). He feels as if he connects with nature on another level. When the speaker sees the snake, he is not pleased. Although one reader might think that this poem is about a snake, another reader might see that the snake could represent the evil slithering into a life. This is ironic in the poem because the snake can represent fear. Nobody wants to feel as if they are scared or have to be scared during their life. Howard Faulkner states, “Dickinson concludes with a potent description of her true feelings about the snake, “Zero at the Bone,” a phrase that well reflects her emotion during most confrontations” (Faulkner). Emily Dickinson may have used irony to convey her emotions that she was feeling in her