Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Expressions in Her Poetry

Weena Mae  G. Ampo,

Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Expressions in Her Poetry

Abstract:

Emily Dickinson’s works are renowned for their distinctiveness, capturing both her inner self as a poet and her reclusive nature. This paper examines the expressivist significations in three of her poems: “Hope is the thing with feathers,” “Because I could not stop for Death,” and “I am Nobody! Who are you?” The study follows a qualitative design, utilizing thematic analysis through a deductive approach based on M.H. Abrams’ theory of expressivism (1953). Abrams’ theory suggests that authors internalize experiences and express their inner selves through their works, making the author the object of the work. The analysis of these poems uncovers several themes: hope offers the poet inner peace, optimism helps her face life’s challenges, “Death” represents distinct phases, the poet’s uncertainty towards eternity, and a positive feeling of being “Nobody.” Through expressivist significations, these poems reflect Dickinson’s presence. Future research may broaden this analysis by comparing Dickinson’s expressivist approach with those of other poets of her time, revealing shared themes and unique features within the literary discipline.

References:

Abrams, M. H. (1953). The mirror and the lamp: Romantic theory and the critical tradition. Oxford University Press.
Alqaryouti, M., & Sadeq, A. E. (2017). Vision of death in Emily Dickinson’s selected poems. Asian Social Science, 13(1), 16-23. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v13n1p16
Anderson, C. R. (1996). Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Browning, D. (1997). Emily Dickinson’s death: A historical context. Journal of American Literature, 14(2), 34-45.
Ren, X.C. (2009). Death and immortality: The everlasting themes. Canadian Social Science, 5(5), 96-99.
Daghamin, R. A. (2017). Reflection on death in the poetry of Emily Dickinson. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 7(3), 148–153.
Dickinson, E. (1960). The complete poems of Emily Dickinson (T. H. Johnson, Ed.). Little, Brown and Company.
Dunn, R. R. (1999). Because I could not stop for death. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 10(5), 710. https://doi. org/10.1006/cpac.1999.0372
Emily Dickinson Museum. (2009, March 27). Major characteristics of Dickinson’s poetry. https://www. emilydickinsonmuseum.org
Finnerty, P. (2022). “You’ll be the only Dickinson they talk about in two hundred years”: Queer celebrity, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, A Quiet Passion, Wild Nights with Emily, and Apple TV+’s Dickinson. The Emily Dickinson Journal, 31(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1353/edj.2022.0000
Goss, C. (2004). Death and the poet: A study of Emily Dickinson’s life and work. Harvard University Press.
Habegger, A. (2001). My wars are laid away in books: The life of Emily Dickinson. Random House.
Hassan, R. (1995). Hope and the poetic process: An exploration of Dickinson’s view on life. Cambridge University Press.
Hassan, J. (2015). Representation of philosophy and theme of hope in Dickinson’s poetry. British Journal of Education, 3(2), 44–48.
Holman, C. H., & Harmon, W. (1992). A handbook to literature (6^th ed.). Macmillan. p. 196
Howe, S. (1985). My Emily Dickinson. North Atlantic Books.
Krzysztofik, M., & Wzorek, A. (2022). Polish translations of Emily Dickinson’s poetry (1965-2020). The Emily Dickinson Journal, 31(1), 31-43. https://doi.org/10.1353/ edj.2022.0001
Liu, Q. (2016). Death and immortality—An everlasting puzzle: A comparative analysis of Emily Dickinson’s two poems. English Language and Literature Studies, 6(2), 172. https://doi.org/10.5539/ells.v6n2p172
Manheim, D. L. (2005). The signifying spinster: How Emily Dickinson found her voice. ESQ: A Journal of the American Renaissance, 51(4), 212-249. https://doi.org/10.1353/esq.2010.0034
Marcellin, L.-A. U. (1996). Emily Dickinson’s Civil War poetry. The Emily Dickinson Journal, 5(2), 107-112.
Miller, C. (2012). Emily Dickinson: A poet’s grammar. Harvard University Press.
Myers, M. A. (2016). The cartooning as a creative classroom response: Picturing Emily Dickinson and her poetry. The CEA Forum, 45(1), 1-19. EJ1107020.pdf (ed.gov)
Poets.org. (2004). Influence of Metaphysical Poets on Emily Dickinson. Academy of American Poets.
Poetry for Students. (2009, June 24). Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/poetry
Rajesh, K., & Arun, C. (2013). A view of death in Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for death.” International Journal of English and Literature, 4(2), 111-114.
Smith, A. (2009). Understanding Emily Dickinson: A literary biography. HarperCollins.
Smith, M. N. (1992). Rowing in Eden: Rereading Emily Dickinson. University of Texas Press.
Stonum, G. L. (2022). Review of the poetry of Emily Dickinson: Philosophical perspectives (E. Camp, Ed.). The Emily Dickinson Journal, 31(1), 70-73. https://doi.org/10.1353/edj.2022.0005.
Wolosky, S. (2022). Emily Dickinson at the edge of analogy: Levinasian enigma. The Emily Dickinson Journal, 31(1), 44-63. https://doi.org/10.1353/edj.2022.0002