(4th journal-3rd quarter) Responding to Emily
For a woman who didn't get out much, Emily Dickinson seemed to know a lot about nature and human nature. She knew that losers understood victory more than winners ("Success is counted sweetest"). She wrote that fame could sing, sting, and wing (away--"Fame is a bee"). She believed that society would label those who went against it as "mad" and would "handle them with a chain" ("Much madness is divinest sense"). She marveled at how an oriole could sing, calling it "divine" ("To Hear an Oriole Sing").Pick any Emily Dickinson poem and respond to it, agreeing or taking exception with the ideas of this curious poet. You can find many poems in your book, of course, or the complete works of Dickinson at this site.
posted by JTF @ 8:55 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
"If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking"
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
I enjoyed this poem of Emily's. It is short and sweet and has a nice message in it. In my opinion, this piece is saying that by doing acts of kindness, one will make the world a better place. It will also benefit one's own life by passing on the needed comfort or aid. This poem has a smooth rhyme and rhythm to it as well. I am still perplexed by the fact that Emily Dickinson could write these wise poems because she remained very secluded during her life. She comprehends a great deal about matters that people normally learn from experience or other individuals. How she knew these things, I will never know.
When I was about nine years old, my family and I took a trip to Washington D.C. to visit all of the museums, monuments, and statues. It was a very interesting trip that taught me many new things and made me understand more about our country. While we were there, we visited the Lincoln Memorial. It was a monument built to honor our 16th president Abraham Lincoln. The monument, which was designed by Henry Bacon, was really something that I wanted to go to because I have always seen Abraham Lincoln as the best president the United States has even seen. I think he was strong, brave individual who really wanted the best for our country. When we got to the monument, I was in awe when I saw the massive columns and the enormous statue of our determined president. We walked around and looked at all of the things in the building, which was truly inspirational. I saw the names of the thirty-six states at Lincoln’s time etched onto the thirty-six columns. This made me see that at one time the united country we have today was not united at all. The Gettysburg address and Lincoln’s second inaugural speech are also ingraved on walls within the building. When I saw those patriotic words carved into the walls, it made me think of all the inspiring speeches that also took place at the Lincoln monument. When we left the monument, I was filled with a feeling of pride and determination that America can do anything. The only thing we need is one person who wants to make a difference, and we can achieve anything!
“On this wondrous sea”
ON this wondrous sea,
Sailing silently,
Knowest thou the shore
Ho! pilot, ho!
Where no breakers roar,
Where the storm is o’er?
In the silent west
Many sails at rest,
Their anchors fast;
Thither I pilot thee,-
Land, ho! Eternity!
Ashore at last!
This poem is one of Emily Dickinson's poems of time and eternity. In this poem, she is describing our lives (here on Earth) as if we were sailing on a ship in the sea. We will go throught hard times in our life (storms) and some very nice times (calm sea). When we become older, we will become more anxious for land, the Kingdom of Heaven. When we die, we are with God; "Land, ho! Eternity! Ashore at last!" I enjoyed reading it, and I agree with the meaning of the poem. I believe this was a very creative way for Emily to write about life and then eternity in Heaven.
"HE touched me, so I live to know"
HE touched me, so I live to know
That such a day, permitted so,
I groped upon his breast.
It was a boundless place to me,
And silenced, as the awful sea Puts minor streams to rest.
And now, I ’m different from before, As if I breathed superior air, Or brushed a royal gown;
My feet, too, that had wandered so, My gypsy face transfigured now To tenderer renown
Emily Dickinson was an amazing poet for an introvert. Although she spent most of her life secluded form the world, she had many inspiring words about death, life, nature, faith, and love. I choose this poem because when I read it, it touched my heart. The first line describes how powerful a touch for the one you love can be. She explains how his touch is love and his love contradicts the myths that true love does not exist; true and unconditional love is possible. Dickinson continues by comparing the one she loves to an “awful sea”. It is so deep and strong that it has the power to change life perspective of life. Love teaches you what is truly important in life and can set your priorities straight just as “awful sea can put minor streams to rest.” Love has the power to change anyone, but true love changes him/her for the better. Your true love should not only be your other half, but also your better half. Dickinson uses visuals of floating on cloud nine or becoming royalty to explain that being in love can make you believe in the impossible. Emily Dickson understand the true meaning of love. Love is powerful and limitless. Love is an intangible, transforming, life long experience. Life is meaningless without love. Love is what keeps you breathing and at the same time the very thing that can take your breath away.
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YOU left me, sweet, two legacies,—
A legacy of love
A Heavenly Father would content,
Had He the offer of;
You left me boundaries of pain
Capacious as the sea,
Between eternity and time,
Your consciousness and me
I liked this poem because it talks about life and love. It says that God gives us gerat things and great responsibilities the ability to love one another and the ability to do great things. With that love comes pain. "You left me boundries of pain" Emily says. Emily talks about what its like to be human, we do go through pain and hardtimes but we also go through glorious and happy times. I think that Emily Dickinson it trying to say that even though we have bad times, we also have good times filled with love and happiness and we have to remember those times.
"IF you were coming in the fall,
I ’d brush the summer by
With half a smile and half a spurn,
As housewives do a fly.
If I could see you in a year,
I ’d wind the months in balls,
And put them each in separate drawers,
Until their time befalls.
If only centuries delayed,
I ’d count them on my hand,
Subtracting till my fingers dropped
Into Van Diemen’s land.
If certain, when this life was out,
That yours and mine should be,
I ’d toss it yonder like a rind,
And taste eternity.
But now, all ignorant of the length
Of time’s uncertain wing,
It goads me, like the goblin bee,
That will not state its sting."
I really like this poem of Emily Dickinson's for many reasons. First of all, I like how it portrays her message very clearly and creatively. In her poem she talks about the yearning that she has to see someone whom she misses. She explains that when you long to see someone so badly, you cannot even wait for the time to pass. Also, Emily Dickinson uses her unique way of writing to tell the reader how she truly cannot wait to see this person by giving examples; she would brush past the summer and put the months into storage in order to see this person sooner. I also found it interesting how she incorporates the "bee" simile into the last stanza, while at the same time explaining how time teases her with its uncertainty.
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