Emily Dickinson
Poem 1: I Measure Every Grief I Meet
Sound Devices: Emily Dickinson uses repetition to emphasize that she is exploring the idea of grief. The phrase “I wonder if” is used a couple of times in the poem. The repetition reveals that she is interested in understanding what grief is and how people grief. In Stanza nine and ten, she mentions “Calvary” and the “cross.” The poem does not have a rhyme scheme, but Dickinson incorporates rhyming words. For example, in the first stanza, the words “eyes and sizes.” Also, other words in the verse that rhyme include; “despair and air,” “try and die,” and “worn and own.” The rhyme gives the poem a natural flow.
Diction: The poet uses comparative vocabulary such as “I,” “they,” and “like” to imply that every person on earth experiences grief. Also, in Line 1 in Stanza 1, the word “measure” describes grief as a tangible emotion. Dickinson uses the word “I” to help readers connect with her personal experience with grief. Also, she uses the words “only” and “but” to suggest that death is a part of life. In stanza seven, she writes, “death comes but once.” At this point in the poem, Dickinson has moved into the acceptance stage.
Imagery: Imagery is used in the poem to showcase that happiness is on the surface. In the fourth stanza, Dickinson describes a smile as the “imitation of light.” Since everyone experiences grief, the smile on their face temporary like a light on a surface.
Poem 2: Safe in their Alabaster Chamber
Form: The poem has an irregular beat implying that death is often accompanied by distraction. The poem has a mixed meter. For example, Line one, “sleep in their Alabaster Chambers,” begins with a dactyl then ends with a trochee. The poem has a stanza structure that is a quintet with each stanza containing five lines. The second stanza has alliterations “diadems/drop and doges/surrender,” which gives the verse rhythm. The poem has an unorganized structure that highlights the disruptive nature of death.
Narrative: The poem incorporates Christian teachings; for instance, dead people are described as “meek members of the resurrection.” This refers to the New Testament’s teaching of the meek inheriting God’s kingdom on earth. Also, Dickinson uses “Alabaster Chambers,” “Roof of stone,” and “Rafter of Satin” to refer to burial grounds. The three different words imply a resting place that is different from a bedroom. Therefore, Dickinson suggests that when people die, they become oblivious of everything that goes on in the land of the living.
Biography: Emily Dickinson is a poet who lived in Early American society. As a Puritan, Christianity was central to her life. This poem explores the idea of death and resurrection. As a Christian, Dickinson has incorporated Biblical teaching and her understanding of the Christian faith into her poetry. The poem reveals Dickinson’s curiosity about what happens when people die. Through this poem, she explores her ideas on death, and her insight into the afterlife Christians should expect.
Works Cited
Dickinson, Emily. I Measure Every Grief I Meet. Retrieved from https://poets.org/poem/i-measure-every-grief-i-meet-561 Accessed May 01, 2020
Dickinson, Emily. Safe in their Alabaster Chamber. Retrieved from https://www.poetryoutloud.org/poem/safe-in-their-alabaster-chambers-124/ Accessed May 01, 2020.