Another favorite poem from this the Dickinson section was poem 202 [185]. While some may see just a few sparse lines, there is much more to the writer's words than meets the eye. This in fact can be seen as one of Dickinson's many intentions. She strives to show her unique personality, while also giving the reader a message. The poem reads: "'Faith' is a fine invention/For gentlemen who see!/But microscopes are prudent/In an emergency!" (Dickinson). In the second line Dickinson refers to priests, nuns, and other church officials. Most interpret religion and God only as what they know, what they have read and have preached. But in the last two lines the writer is saying that religion is more than that, it's interpretation is for the one who delves deeper and holds it in his/her heart.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Post #1: Emily Dickinson: Versions and Revisions
When reading Emily Dickinson's poems, and after reading the introduction on her life, I could easily see her personality and her battles shinning through. Dickinson had gone to a school with high Calvinist standards whose goal was to make missionaries of their students. However, Dickinson did not believe this to be the right fit for her. In poem 39 [49], Dickinson is seen playing the part of the average Christian begging for God's forgiveness, "Twice have I stood a beggar/Before the door of God!" (ln 3-4). At the end of the poem, she admits being restored of her personal faith after having thrown it away, yet not fully forgiven for having left her school. "Angels - twice descending/Reimbursed my store -/Burglar! Banker - Father!/I am poor once more!" (Dickinson, ln 5-8). In line 7, Dickinson is describing God and His abilities, having the ability to punish those who have forsaken him, and to commend those who have sought to restore their faith.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I love that you've addressed Dickinson's conflicts with Calvanism. I haven't read much about the subject myself but have to wonder whether or not she found humor in her situation. (If you know of any poems that address this, let me know!) I am also interested in your interpretation that Dickinson reconciled with her faith. One poem we covered this week that makes me question her reconciliation is "There's a certain Slant of light". Whatever the "Slant" is in this poem (be it Dickinson's own interpretation of Truth or Calvinism's), I felt a lot of tension in the poem, leading me to believe Dickinson constantly grappled with her faith. I know we tore that poem apart fairly thoroughly in class but I'd be interested to hear your interpretation of it 'cause you're generating some nifty ideas here :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kelsey. This is an interesting discussion, and you might also be interested in the poem "Some keep the Sabbath going to church."
ReplyDelete