Emily Dickinson's Poetry

As I read the poetry selections of Emily Dickinson, I was reminded of why I am not an enthusiast of poetry. While Miss Dickinson is known as “one of America’s most gifted poets”, understanding poetry is not one of my strong suits; therefore, I found these selections hard to read. The wording may have been the way of the spoken language in the later 1800s, but, along with the short and broken stanzas, I found it difficult to follow. However, I am by no means a critic of her poetry and would not assess or demean the value of her works simply because they are not to my liking. Obviously, she is very highly regarded in the literary sector, even though I don’t understand why she wasn’t more published until after her death.

I was able to detect her poetic subjects in the selections along with hints of religious thoughts. I was not able to determine any religious beliefs according to her biography and wonder about her convictions. I also wonder how much of her secluded lifestyle contributed to the subjects of her poetry. The text describes her moods varying from “melancholy to exuberance, grief to joy, and despair to spiritual intoxication”. Could this have been her thoughts swaying from how she viewed her real, isolated life to the path she might have liked to pursue otherwise? There is so much mention or allude to death, does she feel as if she has never lived? Her life reminds me of Catherine Gilman‘s character in “The Yellow Wallpaper. Even though there doesn’t seem to be any brainwashing or confinement, she does seem to be a hermit in her secluded life.

I am anxious to review everyone’s posts to see if, from your thoughts, I can understand more of what she is revealing in her poetry. Even after reading it twice, I am still experiencing some confusion as to what she is trying to express to the world.