The Use Of Metaphors In Emily Dickinson's Poems

Emily Dickinson is one of the most disputed and sophisticated poets of the mind in American Literature. Her challenging and ambiguous poems never cease to amaze with their complex messages and subtleties. The silenced selves and skepticism represent the key which keeps readers coming back to her verse, searching for new and innovative interpretations. Her cryptic poems are filled with ellipses, which make up the magical “rich silence” of her poetic style. And while some people might argue that her poetry is distasteful, others think that this “silence” and rebellious style create an unexpected vision and are a revolutionary method of expressing oneself.

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts By the time of Emily’s early childhood there were three children in her family.   She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary for one year. Emily Dickinson is one of America’s greatest and most original poets of all time.

In Taking Off Emily Dickinson’s Clothes, by Billy Collins we are taken on a journey back to the nineteenth century, it is fascinating to contemplate Collins idea of the diminishing of Dickinson's clothes. Emily Dickinson took her liberty to compose such shrewd poetry that was revealed later after her death to the public. Dickinson’s poetry is found perplexing and dramatic, which is clear on why Collins would pick Emily Dickinson as his incentive for this poem. Throughout Collins poem, he uses extended metaphors to expose the reader to understand the profound thoughts of a poet. Collins also conveys figurative language in reference to Dickinson life that can persuade an effect on the reader when reading a

“My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun” by Emily Dickinson is a short poem which uses an extended metaphor comparing the speaker’s life to a loaded gun.  The author appears to be sharing her feelings regarding her own life and how she has not realized her full potential.   She considers her life full of potential power . . . yet unused.  

APPENDIX 2 1. Emily Dickinson’s Poems The selected poems this study was taken from “Poems by Emily Dickinson” which edited by Martha Dickinson Bianchi and Alfred Leete Hampson under the publication of LITTLE BROWN AND COMPANY in 1948. It was printed in The United States of America.

Emily Dickinson 's father was instrumental in bringing the railroad to Amherst, Massachusetts, and he even led a parade in honor of the first train. This proceeds to explain why, among her many masterworks, famous romantic poet Emily Dickinson included a poem entitled “I like to see it lap the miles” that can be interpreted as idolizing trains. Through artful verse, this poem expresses Dickinson’s admiration for the train through similes comparing the train with heavenly or religious items, two prominent shifts in the poem, and powerful description and imagery that further exemplifies her veneration of the iron horse. To begin, Dickinson’s poem is written without any direct statement that she was referencing the train. However, this quickly

Romanticism emerged in the late 18th and early 19th century. During that time Romanticism, instead of Classicism, became a literary movement and literary trend throughout Europe.(1) Romanticism is not only limited to literary categories, it is also a movement that people went to against the old tradition. Romanticism pursues freedom, equality, and fraternity(1). It also opposed the conventions of Classicism, which suppressed individuality.

The Musicality of Emily Dickinson Though her strict eight and six syllable ABAB rhyming style may appear to limit her, Emily Dickinson’s influence on music goes far beyond being the rumored protagonist for The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” If you were to compare her poetry to music, she commands her lines and stanzas using dashes as rests and capitalization as accents. Emily Dickinson’s poetry best represents me as a songwriter because of the unique way she dictates and splits rhythms in common meters.

On the surface, Emily Dickinson’s poem #605 seems to be an unconvincing declaration of life, but with the appliance of more neglected etymologies the piece describes a journey characterized by growth of self-assurance and inner power. The keyword “alive” gives the poem new breadth when considering the “Of a fire, flame, or spark: burning, not extinguished” definition alongside the standard “having life, living” definition. This etymological application accentuates the text’s reddish, fiery shades which expose the reader to the more enthusiastic and passionate undertones of the text. The incorporation of this alternate meaning reaches the peak of its depth in the final stanza. When placing the new meaning side by side with the standard definition,

The poem that stood out the most while reading this assortment of Emily Dickinson poems, was her poem numbered 656/520. This poem used imagery in numerous ways throughout in order to show the audience the important themes and the overall meaning of this work of literature. The poem’s main theme was about a walk on the beach that the poet encountered in the early morning. Although the poem is about a beach it can also give the audience contextual clues into other aspects of life.