Throughout her life, Emily Dickinson spent the majority of her time isolated within the borders of her room in her father’s house, contemplating –among other things –the inevitability of death, human mortality, and her own spiritual faith in relation to these contemplations. The poetry of Emily Dickinson demonstrates her fascination with death and mortality –whether it was focused on her own or others’ –as well as her relationship with each throughout the waxing and waning of her own spiritual faith.
First, let us focus on Dickinson’s tendency to embrace the topic of death in her poetry. It is apparent that Dickinson’s feelings toward death vary as she directly and consistently readdresses it throughout many of her poems, such as “Success …show more content…
A link between death and mortality can be found in many of Dickinson’s poems, including “Safe in their Alabaster Chambers,” “I like a look of Agony,” “There’s a certain Slant of light,” and “Because I could not stop for Death.” The notion of mortality is the key theme in “I like a look of Agony” as Dickinson reminds her audience that death only comes once and is “Impossible to feign.” She uses this reminder of imminent death to display her reasoning behind the first line of the poem. Why does she like the look of agony? Why is she so fascinated with death? This poem answers these questions with simple reasoning: because they do not lie. In other words, she likes that agony and death are honest and easily recognizable. The poem “There’s a certain Slant of light” can easily house themes on death, mortality, and faith as it includes references to all three. The references for “Winter Afternoons,” “the Seal Despair,” and “On the look of Death” all point to death. The spiritual tone is outlined by references to “Cathedral Tunes,” and “Heavenly Hurt,” which are both readily associated with a funeral and death. The entirety of the poem acts as a reminder of mortality to the audience as Dickinson uses the recognizable imagery of winter, a cathedral, heaven, despair, shadows, and death …show more content…
Dickinson wrote many poems that convey spiritual themes, including “Come slowly –Eden!” “I know that He exists,” “God is a distant –stately Lover,” “At least –to pray –is left –is left,” “I’m ceded –I’ve stopped being Theirs,” “The Soul selects her own Society,” and “Some keep the Sabbath going to Church,” and “Wild Nights –Wild Nights!” The poem “Come slowly –Eden!” is one of which Dickinson utilizes her spiritual faith to relay her views on mortality. In this poem, Dickinson asks Eden to come slowly, as well as imagery of a be arriving late to a fragrant jasmine flower, suggesting her desire for death to come slowly as she has become more aware of her own mortality. Dickinson’s poem “I know that He exists” is clearly one meant to convey her spiritual beliefs not only in God, but also death and its role in nature. Throughout this poem, Dickinson affirms her faith in God and comes to the conclusion that death is only another part of the cycle of nature, stating that if “the play” –meaning life –becomes “too expensive” then it would “Have crawled too far!” –meaning it would lead to death. Dickinson’s poem “God is a distant –stately Lover” references the narrative poem of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and assigns three of his characters –Miles, John Alden, and Priscilla –parallel roles with her Christian-spiritual themed poem, with Miles as God, John Alden as
First, let us focus on Dickinson’s tendency to embrace the topic of death in her poetry. It is apparent that Dickinson’s feelings toward death vary as she directly and consistently readdresses it throughout many of her poems, such as “Success …show more content…
A link between death and mortality can be found in many of Dickinson’s poems, including “Safe in their Alabaster Chambers,” “I like a look of Agony,” “There’s a certain Slant of light,” and “Because I could not stop for Death.” The notion of mortality is the key theme in “I like a look of Agony” as Dickinson reminds her audience that death only comes once and is “Impossible to feign.” She uses this reminder of imminent death to display her reasoning behind the first line of the poem. Why does she like the look of agony? Why is she so fascinated with death? This poem answers these questions with simple reasoning: because they do not lie. In other words, she likes that agony and death are honest and easily recognizable. The poem “There’s a certain Slant of light” can easily house themes on death, mortality, and faith as it includes references to all three. The references for “Winter Afternoons,” “the Seal Despair,” and “On the look of Death” all point to death. The spiritual tone is outlined by references to “Cathedral Tunes,” and “Heavenly Hurt,” which are both readily associated with a funeral and death. The entirety of the poem acts as a reminder of mortality to the audience as Dickinson uses the recognizable imagery of winter, a cathedral, heaven, despair, shadows, and death …show more content…
Dickinson wrote many poems that convey spiritual themes, including “Come slowly –Eden!” “I know that He exists,” “God is a distant –stately Lover,” “At least –to pray –is left –is left,” “I’m ceded –I’ve stopped being Theirs,” “The Soul selects her own Society,” and “Some keep the Sabbath going to Church,” and “Wild Nights –Wild Nights!” The poem “Come slowly –Eden!” is one of which Dickinson utilizes her spiritual faith to relay her views on mortality. In this poem, Dickinson asks Eden to come slowly, as well as imagery of a be arriving late to a fragrant jasmine flower, suggesting her desire for death to come slowly as she has become more aware of her own mortality. Dickinson’s poem “I know that He exists” is clearly one meant to convey her spiritual beliefs not only in God, but also death and its role in nature. Throughout this poem, Dickinson affirms her faith in God and comes to the conclusion that death is only another part of the cycle of nature, stating that if “the play” –meaning life –becomes “too expensive” then it would “Have crawled too far!” –meaning it would lead to death. Dickinson’s poem “God is a distant –stately Lover” references the narrative poem of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and assigns three of his characters –Miles, John Alden, and Priscilla –parallel roles with her Christian-spiritual themed poem, with Miles as God, John Alden as