Emily Dickinson 

Analysis Of Slected Poems By Emily Dickinson

Here is a analyzation of around 5 poems that i have choosen to analyze. The poems I choose to analyze are based on whether I understand the poem 

and what the writer is trying to write and whether I myself think its a intresting poem. The poems I have selected are normal length poems except for an exception of 1 short poem and that is why I have written a analysis on  5 poems instead of 4 because 1 was too short. I choose the short poem because that poem made me think a lot and I really could understand what Emily Dickinson was trying to say In such short lines. 

Analysis  :  

This poem has 16 lines and around 4 stanzas with 5 - 8 words  per line. 

The theme of this poem is a Death. I think this poem is about how Emily Dickinson has something that  she is hiding from all. I think that this poem is about a secret because in her poem she says “ I have not told my garden yet” I think garden in this poem denotes a person that is special to her that she probably should have told . Then the following line is “ Lest that should conquer me” This could be a over conquering secret that she is hiding. After that she says “I have not quite the strength now,To break it to the bee” which probably means that it is a secret that she doesnt want to break to someone because it would either hurt them or they wouldn't be able to handle it. The next stanza “I will not name it in the street, For shops would stare, that I,So shy, so very ignorant,Should have the face to die”. This is telling the reader that she does not want to name the secret because people would be shocked that someone so shy as her would “Have the face to die” Which in this case could mean exactly what she said because this poem could relate to when she found that she was going to die.  The Next stanza “The hillsides must not know it,Where I have rambled so,Nor tell the loving forests,The day that I shall go” She is referring to people by saying “the hillside must not know nor tell the forrest, The day I shall go” So she doesnt want people to know the day she will die. The next stanza “Nor lisp it at the table,Nor heedless by the way,Hint that within the riddle,One will walk to-day!” The last stanza is just trying to show us that she wants it to be a secret “Nor Lisps it at the  table”.

This poem is about a special secret .  Poet is trying to tell us how she doesnt want to reveal the secret to anyone that she is going to die. The Speaker in this poem is Emily Dickinson herself.

As you start reading the poem you are curious to know the secret an as you read on you realize that the secret here is death and that sadness me . It is also heartbreaking how the poet wants to insulate others around her from this grief. It may also mean that she wants to part from this world without too much notice from others. 

Context of the Poem

This poem by Emily Dickinson, it shows her view about her personal problems that she is facing in life. 

Style of the Poem

This is a long poem which is also showing the poets inner thought on the subject. 

Title of the Poem

When you read the tittle of this poem “I have not told my garden” you can understand that this poem is about something that she hasn't told someone.

Repetition in the Poem

In this poem there are no repeated lines but she does repeat the thought that she has. The fact that she hasn't told anyone about this secret we see that because she repeats “ I have not told the hillside” I have not yet told my garden” so she is repeating the thought of not telling anyone. 

Speaker of the Poem

The speaker in this poem is Emily Dickinson herself but she has a universal tone. The voice of the speaker is in first person because she uses the word “I” and talks about her own secret which is what makes the poem in first person. 

Names of Characters

There are no names of characters but we see she talks about a “Garden , hillside , streets” these could be considered as the characters but they are simple personifications.

Basic Details of the Poem

The poet deliberately doesn't state the secret and in my opinion she does this because she wants to leave it to the reader’s imagination.

Mood and Tone of the Poem

I think the mood in this poem is mysterious because you want to know about this secret but then once you find out about it, it makes you feel sorry for her and that she has the secret of death?.The mood starts to change once you realize that the secret she is trying to ignore and not tell anyone is the fact that she is going to die. The tone the writer is trying to use is a somber one. 

Rhythm of the Poem

This poem has a calm and quite  rhythm, this rhythm does relate to the poem.

Use of the Senses in the Poem

The sense in this poem is sight because she is  trying to  draw picture of her surrounding as she talks of all those with whom she has not shared the secret.

Imagery in the Poem

The imagery in this poem is personified imagery as  Emily Dickinson writes :”I HAVE not told my garden yet”.

Language of the Poem

Words in this poem rhyme with a end rhyme but only the second line with the fourth line rhyme. This poem is written in the style of a iambic meter 

Literary Devices : 

Assonance :There is assonance in this poem like with the words “I and Die” these words have a different ending yet they rhyme with each other .

Personification : “For shops would stare” this is an example of personification shops in this poem denotes people.

Onomatopoeia : In this poem there is onomotapia with the word Lisps because she is trying to create an effect of sound. 

Rhyme Scheme : 

The rhyme scheme in this poem would be  b.b .b.b  Which means that like with the first stanza the second line and the fourth line end with words that rhyme with each other “me, bee”. Then the same with the second stanza “I , die”. Then the third stanza “So , Go” and the fourth final stanza “Way , Day”. She however does not make the first and third lines of each stanza  rhyme like with the first stanza “Yet , Now” these words don't rhyme or “Street , Ignorant” these words also don't rhyme so we see that the rhyme scheme would just be 2 and 4. 

Imagery in the Poem

The imagery in this poem is personified imagery so when Emily Dickinson writes :”I HAVE not told my garden yet”.

Analysis : 

The first four lines  “I Came to buy a smile—today—But just a single smile—The smallest one upon your face,Will suit me just as well—“are stating very directly what she wants and that is his smile.She doesn't want too much except one smile. The next 4 lines ; “The one that no one else would miss, It shone so very small—I’m pleading at the “counter”—sir— Could you afford to sell—“ these verses are focusing on the person she is in love with, in this case ‘the shopkeeper’ could afford to sell his smile  basically means that either his affection towards her was a secret or that there was some reason that he was hiding his affection towards her. The next four lines “I’ve Diamonds—on my fingers—You know what Diamonds are?I’ve Rubies—live the Evening Blood—And Topaz—like the star!” this shows how she has everything and she is willing to give all these fortunes away for his smile.  The last two lines , ’Twould be “a Bargain” for a Jew!
Say—may I have it—Sir?” Here she means her wealth can be the envy of many and she could gain a lot in exchange. The closing line is a very sweet line where she just repeats what she wants. 

This Poem has 14 lines and 1 stanza with around 4- 8 words per line. 

This poem only has one stanza. The theme of this poem is love and the poet is trying to express her feelings in this poem. This poem is about how she wants this person to smile for her, the smile is depicting the love that she wants him to show her. She is saying in the 9th,10th and 11th line “I’ve Diamonds—on my fingers—You know what Diamonds are?I’ve Rubies—live the Evening Blood—“ This is denoting priceless gems and jewelry that she has this also means that she has everything in life except his love.

Title of the Poem

The tittle of this poem is “ I came to buy a smile - Today” gives away a lot of the inner  meaning as buying a smile  obviously denotes the eagerness to get  the much desired feeling.

Repetition in the Poem

In this poem there is repetition like in the first stanza : “I Came to buy a smile—today—But just a single smile—“

Opening and Closing Lines of the Poem

The opening and closing lines in this poem,(I Came to buy a smile—today— Say—may I have it—Sir?) are very well structured because at the begin she states she wants a smile and at the end of the poem she asks if she can have it again. The poet try’s to leave a impression by closing the poem with “Say - May I have it - Sir?.

Passage of Time in the Poem

It is  hard to understand the time this is set in however it can be a moments thought.

Speaker of the Poem

The speaker of this poem is a female person and it is in the first person perspective because she says “I”. This speaker is trying to talk to a person whom she probably loves so she is talking directly to this person.  The main theme is this poem was unsuccessful love. The speaker is Emily Dickinson herself talking about her own feeling as we can understand in this poem . Emily Dickinson wrote this poem as if she was coming to a shop to buy love which would be the main setting in this poem. 

Names of Characters

The protagonist in this poem is Emily Dickinson herself because this poem is written in the first persons perspective , the antagonist which is the main problem is the Sir (the shopkeeper) or in this case person she loves and who has to love her back. 

Basic Details of the Poem

I think the poet leaves out certain details so that the poem can imply many different things because she leaves out information about the person.

Mood and Tone of the Poem

The mood of this poem is a cheerful and jolly mood this is because she's in love with this person so she is very happy. The tone is a very sweet tone this is because she is asking someone for their love so she is asking very sweet and politely.

Themes of the Poem

The theme in this poem is love Emily Dickinson wrote this poem is a teasingly way as if she wants to buy this persons love and thats why she makes it seem as if she is in a store to by his love. She emphasizes with the buying his smile because she wants his love and she has instead said it in a way that makes you think she wants his smile. She also emphasizes on the fact that she has everything and diamonds on her fingers because what she actually is trying to say that she has all she wants except his love.

Rhythm of the Poem

This poem seems as if it is a conversation or monologue.

Use of the Senses in the Poem

In this poem the sense of sight  is used by the poet to describe the smile which is invaluable to her

Imagery in the Poem

I think that the reader just wants us to understand that she is in love with this person and that she wants his love and is ready to give up all she has for it.

Language of the Poem

The language is very direct it immediately gives the reader a feeling of what the poet wants to say the language clearly explains what the poet has in mind and it is strong and impactful and it is also touching.

Literary Devices in this poem : 

Aliteration : The alliteration in this poem is a Single Smile, because they both begin with a S.

Simile : The simile in this poem is : I’ve Rubies—live the Evening Blood—And Topaz—like the star! as we can see the writer is using the word like. 

Rhyme Scheme : 

The poem uses slant rhymes throughout.

Analysis :

This poem “How happy is the little stone” has 1 stanza , 10 lines and approximately around 3 - 6 words per line.

line.  

The theme of this poem is happiness, The poet in this poem is trying to show us how happy the stone is and in this case the stone refers to someone on the street or a carefree person because the poet mentions “And doesn’t care about Careers, And Exigencies never fears—”, or “ That rambles in the Road alone,” or “And independent as the Sun”. People on the streets  or the carefree are usually independent,  don't care about careers and usually have no fear of the life they are living. They can easily  face the life.

The little stone is happy with what he/she has and does. Even though  alone on the road he/she is still a happy person.  This is written for the society and it is written from the writers perspective. Their is no general setting but In my opinion it is depicting life on the road which can also mean life in general.

There is no mention of time in this poem. The physical description in this poem would be “Whose Coat of elemental Brown”

I think this is a very sweet poem about someone who's still happy without having much yet it makes me feel sorry for the person alone on the road, this poem gives me a very unsettling feeling. It sometimes can make you see how someone can be happy with so little. When I think of this poem it makes me think of a person on the street who are alone , doesn't  have much but is still happy with whatever he/she has and I think that this is a very nice message that the poet has put out there to show us how you can be happy without having much in the world. 

Context of the Poem

This poem, by Emily Dickinson shows her point of view of problems in this world.

Style of the Poem

This poem is a narrative poem describing how simplicity can also give you happiness. 

Title of the Poem

The tittle of the poem doesn't  give away the actual message in the poem.

Opening and Closing Lines of the Poem

The closing lines of the poem makes you stop think and wonder why do more and more people not seek happiness out of simple things. 

Passage of Time in the Poem

There is no specific time frame in this poem because the writer hasn't given any signs of daytime or nighttime nor where or when this poem is happening. 

Speaker of the Poem

The speaker in this poem can be universal. This poem is written in a third persons perspective, in the ‘we’ perspective, we notice this.

Names of Characters

The main protagonist of this poem would be the little stone. 

Mood and Tone of the Poem

The mood of this poem is a very happy mood because she is taking about happiness. I feel that Emily Dickinson wanted to  give this  very important message of simplicity and happiness through a happy tone. The tone and voice of the poem is very simple and informal tone. 

Themes of the Poem

The theme is being happy but this poem is trying to make us understand the principle of happiness by sharing her own thoughts. 

The poet emphasizes the theme by the means of personification where the “little stone” personifies the common man and the ways without any artificiality.

Rhythm of the Poem

The rhythm is of this poem is dynamic, it is written in the way as if were looking at her thoughts. Her play of words represents the dynamic rhythm and her thoughts very precisely.  

Literary Devices : 

Simile : This poem has literary devices like similes for instance “As independent as the sun”. 

Metaphors:  This poem also has metaphors like “A passing Universe put on”. 

Rhyme Scheme : There is also usage of rhyme in this poem like : Stone , Alone , Careers, Fears, Decree and Simplicity.  The rhyme pattern of this poem is a,a,b,b because the last word of the first line rhymes with the last word of the second and the last word of the third line rhymes with the last word of the fourth this is called a end rhyme. 

In this poem there is also a slant rhyme : “Whose Coat of elemental Brown,A passing Universe put on,” You would think that ‘brown’ and ‘on’  rhyme since every last word of the poem rhymes and they look like they rhyme but they don't rhyme. 

Assonance - The assonance in this poem is the words : “ Decree and Simplicity” these words have different endings yet they rhyme with each other. 

Personification: Emily Dickinson uses personification when she talks about the stone being happy because an object can not have any feelings or emotions.

Imagery - The literary device imagery is used when the writer says “ How happy is the little Stone , That rambles in the Road alone,” I think that this part shows imagery because I can get an image in my head of a stone smiling and rambling across the road alone.