Emily Dickinson. Her poetry as a way to make sense of the world

Dossier / Travail de Séminaire , 2014 , 12 Pages , Note: 1,7

Philologie Américaine - Littérature

As the first female poet who was included into the regularly male canon of poetry, Emily Dickinson is one of the few popular American poets of the 19th century. Another equally influential contemporary American poet may only be Walt Whitman, whose
main work was the poetry collection Leaves of Grass of 1855.
Emily Dickinson's collection of poems contains nearly 1800 pieces. They cover a variety of different topics. The motifs of life, love, marriage, nature, faith and death run through her poems like a thread.

Dickinson has her very own view on the human ability to make sense of the world. Looking at the world theologically more liberal than other contemporary authors, because she is estranged from religious beliefs, she doubts the ideals of adjustment and perfection and thus tries to attain truth by holding the view that the world is in constant progression.

In order to describe this view appropriately, I will first of all give an overview of biographical, historical and cultural facts of Emily Dickinson. After providing this background information, I will introduce some of Emily Dickinson's poetic themes and
strategies and analyse selected poems of her. The analyses are intended to underline my findings and serve to give an overview of the stylistic elements Dickinson uses to illustrate her view on the human ability to make sense of the world. I will conclude my outcome by explicating to what extent Emily Dickinson's poetry has been a poetic contribution to American Literature until today.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• A. Introduction: Dickinson's approach to make sense of the world...
• B. Emily Dickinson: Influence and Strategies
  • I. Biographical, Historical and Cultural Facts.
  • II. Poetic Themes and Strategies
    • 1. Dickinson's Attitude towards Live, Love and Marriage Illustrated by Poem #199: "I'm "wife" - I've finished that"
    • 2. The Relationship Between the Human and the Natural World Illustrated by Poem #328: "A Bird came down the Walk”.
    • 3. Dickinson's investigative Religious Poetry Illustrated by Poem #465: “I heard a Fly buzz when I died -".
• C. Conclusion: Dickinson's Poetic Contribution to American Literature .
• Works Cited...

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This term paper aims to analyze the poetic strategies and themes of Emily Dickinson, focusing on her unique approach to understanding the world. It explores her biographical context, historical and cultural influences, and her individual perspective on life, love, marriage, nature, and faith. The analysis of selected poems highlights Dickinson's stylistic elements and her contribution to American literature.

• Emily Dickinson's unique perspective on the world and her doubts about traditional ideals of order and perfection.
• The influence of biographical, historical, and cultural factors on Dickinson's poetry, including her upbringing in a Puritan family, the Second Great Awakening, and the Transcendentalist movement.
• Dickinson's poetic strategies, such as her use of common meter, slant rhymes, enjambment, and capitalization of nouns.
• The exploration of themes like life, love, marriage, nature, and faith in Dickinson's poetry.
• Dickinson's contribution to American literature and her lasting impact on the literary landscape.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides an overview of Emily Dickinson's life and work, highlighting her unique perspective on the world and her doubts about traditional ideals. It also introduces the main themes and strategies that will be explored in the following chapters.

Chapter B.I delves into the biographical, historical, and cultural context of Emily Dickinson's life. It explores her upbringing in a Puritan family, her experiences during the Second Great Awakening and the Transcendentalist movement, and her personal struggles with isolation and societal expectations. This chapter lays the foundation for understanding Dickinson's individual perspective and her approach to making sense of the world.

Chapter B.II examines Dickinson's poetic themes and strategies. It analyzes three selected poems, focusing on her unique use of language, imagery, and symbolism. The analysis highlights Dickinson's stylistic elements and her ability to convey complex ideas and emotions through her poetry.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The keywords and focus themes of the text include Emily Dickinson, American poetry, 19th-century literature, poetic themes, poetic strategies, life, love, marriage, nature, faith, death, religious beliefs, Transcendentalism, Romanticism, Second Great Awakening, Puritanism, isolation, societal expectations, stylistic elements, and contribution to American literature.

• Université: University of Duisburg-Essen (Anglophone Studies)
• Cours: A Survey of American Literature
• Note: 1,7
• Auteur: Nadine Rattey (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2014
• Pages: 12
• N° de catalogue: V294892
• ISBN (ebook): 9783656926993
• ISBN (Livre): 9783656927006
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: Emily Dickinson, American Poetry, Term Paper Emily Dickinson, Emily Dickinson's Poetry