I had to read some of Emily Dickinson's poetry at school but, continued to read for pleasure.
I had to read some of Emily Dickinson's poetry at school but, continued to read for pleasure.
Thought I'd add my voice to a chorus. I have never had to read her for school. I have, however, read most, if not all, of her published poems.
Told by a fool, signifying nothing.
I am. Right now. So there!I may not understand all her poems (which frustrates me a bit) but I'm reading them anyway. Sometimes I'll find a poem which is very clear in meaning, and I usually enjoy those very much.
I wish I understood her more. I wish I didn't have to run to my dictionary so much when I read her, but, I enjoy her voice anyway.
I have been reading an extensive collection of Dickinson poems for my English class, but I have come to enjoy it very much. One of my favorite poems is #516:
Beauty-be not caused- It Is-
Chase it, and it ceases-
Chase it not, and it abides-
Overtake the creases
In the Meadow- when the Wind
Runs his fingers thro' it-
Deity will see to it
That You never do it-
This poem refers to the Romantic ideal of Beauty and how it is an "ideal" for a reason. It is not meant to be attained; however, many people (such as mainstream Romanticists) waste their entire lives on a "never-ending chase," searching for something that can never be found. The more they search, the farther they are from reaching it; however, if they leave it alone, they find that they are content with admiring it from afar.
"Overtake the creases" refers to overcoming the obstacles that prevent you from reaching the truth. However, as seen in the last stanza, "Deity will see to it That You never do it." Whether it is a divine figure or just destiny, it is a fact that Beauty (and other ideals) can never be truly understood.
"Overtake the creases | In the Meadow- when the Wind | Runs his fingers thro' it-" evokes a picture of grass and wild flowers creasing under a brisk wind. I imagine the poet chasing after beauty (rather than after truth) where beauty is best found. But chasing, alas, to no avail.Originally Posted by laura3989
"Love does not alter the beloved, it alters itself"
Some of her poems are true classics... but it's not really my cup of tea. I don't mind reading ED, but I would never really choose to read her poetry in my spare time... I don't think that a lot of her poems have much depth to them...
"All gods are homemade, and it is we who pull their strings, and so, give them the power to pull ours." -Aldous Huxley
"Sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires." -William Blake
The poems of Emily Dickinson are totally different from those of any other writer, British or American. This may be due to the fact that she did not try for publication on the hand, and that she did not move much in society. The other writers were in constant touch with the literary world of publishing books, magazines. But Emily Dickinson read books and magazines; she never wrote for them. Her attitude to life does not conform to the patterns of her time. Just as Whitman transcended the religious Puritanism of the age, she also rebels against the narrowness of the religious view-point on life and goes back to a broader and more classical attitude. This is seen in her position regarding death, immortality, and eternity.
Emily Dickinson is a poet of extreme sensitivity. Her poems are never sentimental but she knows an excess of feeling and emotion. One of the special qualities of the life and experience of Emily is her " inner life". She lived the life of the imagination, and could experience things she had never seen or heard of, through her imagination.
The poems of Emily Dickinson are totally different from those of any other writer, British or American. This may be due to the fact that she did not try for publication on the hand, and that she did not move much in society. The other writers were in constant touch with the literary world of publishing books, magazines. But Emily Dickinson read books and magazines; she never wrote for them. Her attitude to life does not conform to the patterns of her time. Just as Whitman transcended the religious Puritanism of the age, she also rebels against the narrowness of the religious view-point on life and goes back to a broader and more classical attitude. This is seen in her position regarding death, immortality, and eternity.
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