A Textual Analysis Of Emily Dickinson’s Idea About Death In Her Selected Poems Chapter III V
CHAPTER III
METHOD OF RESEARCH
3.1.
Research Design
The writer used qualitative research because the object of analysis is form in
qualitative and descriptive data. Moleong (1995: 2) states that descriptive qualitative
research is defined as the qualitative research, a type of research which does not
include any calculation or enumerating. Qualitative data is usually formed in words
rather than numbers. They are source of well-grounded, rich descriptions and
explanations of processes in identifiable contexts. Miles & Huberman (1994: 10) add
that with qualitative research, someone can preserve chronological flow and see
precisely which events led to consequences and derive faithful explanation.
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Qualitative research is in accordance with this study due to several reasons.
First, the aim of this study is focused on the ‘‘qualities’’ of Dickinson’s idea about
death. Second, the object of analysis is poem and literature which is related to her
work, therefore the data is formed in text and not numbers. Third, this study tries to
explore what is Dickinson’s idea as reflected in her poems and thereby expose the
shortcomings of everyday understandings as qualitative research which explores
complexities.
The main source of this analysis is taken from the poems. The data are in
form of quotations which are selected from Dickinson’s poems. The selection is
oriented on the text which has connection with death context as reflected in poem.
The quotations has been analyzed through textual analysis. The writer used content
analysis which is the branch of textual analysis. Content Analysis is used to identify,
enumerate, and analyze occurrences of specific messages and message characteristics
embedded in texts.
3.2.
Data Collecting
In collecting the data, the writer needs some instruments for this thesis. The
writer has been finding some poems from Emily Dickinson that are reflecting her
idea of death. The writer has visited the library and browsed the internet to find any
related literature to her works and background of life, then the writer begun to read it
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carefully to take down notes and to compose it properly. The poem had been studied
carefully, line by line, to find out the relation with the analysis.
3.3.
Data Analysis
Poem is written in several stanzas, in general, poem is written in three, four,
six, eight or nine stanzas. In case of Dickinson’s poem, it can be written in
unpredictable number since she does not follow the traditional order in writing
poems. In this analysis, the writer had examined each stanza from the selected poems
and had interpreted the content based on Dickinson’s background of life.
As the writer takes content analysis as the research method, the poem had
been first examined as what it was written. Paraphrase analysis which find the literal
meaning of the poem had been conducted, after that the writer pointed out the real
idea of the poem that can be seen on certain words or stanza in the poem.It is quite
difficult to find the main idea since Dickinson’s style of writing is unique. It will be
easy to find the theme or idea of the poem if the poet put the title that can be the
center of whole poems, but Dickinson used number to name the poem. It can be
assumed that this style of entitling is an influence of Shakespear who is famous poet
and play writer in her era.
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
4.
Emily Dickinson’s Idea about Death
Emily Dickinson is unpredictable poet who uses many figures of speech in
her writing. Dickinson uses personification, simile, sarcasm, irony and imagery to
talk about death. This style of writing sometime puts the writer in confusion to find
her idea because she likes to use unusual word to represent death. In other word, she
has no clear ideas about death. She takes death as a reward in some poems and she
also takes death as an irony in other poems.
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4.1.
The Idea of Death is Gift in Poem J160 – Just lost, when I was saved!
Have you ever experienced the dying moment? For some people it may be so
frightening to talk about, but for Emily Dickinson it is the moment that should be
expected in lifetime and be shared to everyone if they have a chance. In this poem,
Dickinson portrays death as a gift that is too worth to be missed. Death is a savage
from the chaos. She rather chooses death even she would lost all her senses, because
she believes death will bring her to eternity and peace.
CLX
Just lost, when I was saved!
Just felt the world go by!
Just girt me for the onset with Eternity,
When breath blew back,
And on the other side
I heard recede the disappointed tide!
Therefore, as One returned, I feel
Odd secrets of the line to tell!
Some Sailor, skirting foreign shores—
Some pale Reporter, from the awful doors
Before the Seal!
Next time, to stay!
Next time, the things to see
By Ear unheard,
Unscrutinized by Eye—
Next time, to tarry,
While the Ages steal—
Slow tramp the Centuries,
And the Cycles wheel!
(Dickinson, 1860)
Dickinson states she is lost when she wassaved in the first line. She just feel
the world goes by and she just get closer to eternity. As the breath blows back into
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her lungs, she can hear the disappointment. In the second stanza, the speaker
returned and though that she has revealed a secret. She needs to tell the odd secrets
of the line to everyone. She feels like a sailor that has avoided the foreign shores and
like a reporter who get back from covering an awful news. Nevertheless, next time
when she has another chance to get lost, she really wants to stay. She wants to feel
something that unheard by ears and unscrutinized by eyes. She really wants to tarry,
which also means stay, if she has a chance to be lost again someday. As she is
waiting for the lost to come again, she will live the centuries and enjoy the cycle.
In this poem, Emily talks about death that almost come to her. She feels
disappointed because her breath brings her back to life. Death is something that is
worth to wait, it is like a gift that is given by chance. Even she wants to die but she
still encourage herself to live her life to the fullest while waiting the death to come
again.
Just lost, when I was saved!
Just felt the world go by!
Just girt me for the onset with Eternity,
When breath blew back,
And on the other side
I heard recede the disappointed tide!
From the first stanza above, Dickinson wants to point out that death is
a boundary between her mortal life to eternity. She feels safe when she knows that
she was about to die. Save and lost can be related to Christianity terms about life and
death. In Christianity, dead person will be saved by God and have eternal life in
heaven. Life is always considered as the chaos that give so much cruelty. It can be
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said that life is a chaos that make people need to die to be saved from life. It is the
reason of her disappointment when she knows that life is saving her from death.
Therefore, as One returned, I feel
Odd secrets of the line to tell!
Some Sailor, skirting foreign shores—
Some pale Reporter, from the awful doors
Before the Seal!
The second stanza above explains the moment when Dickinson is pulled back
to life andsuddenly feeling so strange. She feels like she has an odd secret that needs
to be told to everyone. She considers herself as a sailor who has avoided the foreign
shores therefor she needs to tell everyone about the shores, and also as a reporter that
has got back from covering an awful case and she needs to report the news. She
feels like she has missed something big and scary; however she believes it was the
gate for better beginning of something.
Next time, to stay!
Next time, the things to see
By Ear unheard,
Unscrutinized by Eye—
Dickinson wonders to stay when the death makes another visit in the future in
the stanza above. She promises herself to stay with death even she may lose her
senses. She believes her sight and hearing are not everything she needs, she is rather
losing the senses than the chance to be with death. She believes that her soul can hear
the unheard voice and see the unscrutinized sight.
Next time, to stay!
Next time, the things to see
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By Ear unheard,
Unscrutinized by Eye—
The last stanza above asserts Dickinson’s desire to stay by meaning’s
repetition in tarry, which still has same meaning with stay. During her waiting for
the death to come back, she will keep living her life. The word’s repetition of ‘next
time’ and meaning’s repetition on ‘stay’ and ‘tarry’ is the key that conveys her desire
to be with death. Death is something that she expects to come since life is already
unwanted to be fought for. Death is the reward, the escape from the chaos.
4.2.
The Idea of Death is Personal Enemy in Poem J278 – A Clock StoppedTime is the beginning and the end for everything. Time may heal or even
break things in our life, but when the time is over, there will be nothing to expect. In
poem 278, Dickinson applies metaphor by comparing death to a broken clock to
show how dreadful the death can be. As the clock stop working, the time also stop
ticking. There is no more possibility that can be given by time.
CCLXXVIII
A Clock stopped –
Not the Mantel's –
Geneva's farthest skill
Can't put the puppet bowing –
That just now dangled still –
An awe came on the Trinket!
The Figures hunched, with pain –
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Then quivered out of Decimals –
Into Degreeless Noon –
It will not stir for Doctors –
This Pendulum of snow –
This Shopman importunes it –
While cool – concernless No –
Nods from the Gilded pointers –
Nods from the Seconds slim –
Decades of Arrogance between
The Dial life –
And Him –
(Dickinson,1861)
In this poem Dickinson describes how her subject suffers from the dying
moment. Death is something powerful that can torture someone with no mercy. She
shows her pessimistic idea about death with casual diction. She wants to describe
what death can do to ruin someone’s life.
A Clock stopped –
Not the Mantel's –
Geneva's farthest skill
Can't put the puppet bowing –
That just now dangled still –
In the first line, A clock stopped –, Dickinson portrays the moment when the
subject’s heart is stop beating. The simple clipped syllables echoes the last clang. She
describes what kind of clock that she is talking about as she explains in the second
line, Not the mantel’s. Mantel is the kind of clock which used to be placed on the
table or fireplace. Later on, we will understand that it is the wall clock for she
mentions about the puppet of the clock. In the third line she states, Geneva’s farthest
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skill, Geneva refers to Switzerland which is well known as the best producer of high
quality clocks and watches. The clock that she mentions is made by the best creator.
This line teaches us that even the best person we know will die too. Everyone will
die no matter how good they are. In the next line she writes, Can’t put the puppy
bowing, the puppet represents the dead people. Dead people are like the puppet of the
broken clock, they need alive person to move. The last line pictures how the puppet
is hanging with no ability to move, she says, That just now dangled still.
An awe came on the Trinket!
The Figures hunched, with pain –
Then quivered out of Decimals –
Into Degreeless Noon –
In the second stanza, Dickinson shows how death tortures dead people.
As written in the first line above, An awe came on the trinket!, death makes people
valueless. Awe is the feeling of dread, wondering something frightening. She
wonders what will happen to the trinket. Trinket is a valueless gift or souvenir, it
represents dead people’s value. They lost their value as they already dead. The
figures, the dead body, were tortured and hunched with the pain. In the next line, she
denotes the impossibility which is caused by death. She says now the quivered is out
of decimals into degreeless noon, decimals refer to the possibilitiesand when the
hands of the clock already stop at degreeless noon, it means there is no more
possibilities for the dead body.
It will not stir for Doctors –
This Pendulum of snow –
This Shopman importunes it –
While cool – concernless No –
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The stanza above asserts that death can not be controlled. Even doctors will
not able to stir the clock. The word ‘doctors’ helps us to understand that she is
actually not talking about real clock. Doctor is not qualified in repairing clock, he is
responsible in taking care people. In this case we can clearly understands that she is
comparing the dead people to the broken clock. In the next line she pictures that the
pendulum is already freeze; not moving anymore, The shopman try to importunes,
but he still can not fix the clock. When the shop-man realizes the clock is already
stop working, he doesn’t want to concern about it anymore. The doctors also do not
want to stir anything to help dead people. It is not because they do not want to, but
because they know there is nothing to do with the dead body or with the broken
clock. Death is unchangeable, no matter how hard they try to fix it.
Nods from the Gilded pointers –
Nods from the Seconds slim –
Decades of Arrogance between
The Dial life –
And Him –
In the first line Dickinson writes Nods from the Gilded pointers, we can learn
it explains the move from the first hand of clock, the short one. She also writes, Nods
from the second slim, it explains the move from the second hand, the long one. Nod
is the move of our head to show our agreement or positive respond towards
something. In this poem, the nodding seems to be the time or moment that we have
during the life time. In the third line she writes, Decades of arrogan between, it
portrays the moment that was filled by the arrogance. People tend to live their life on
their own way which is not always be the best way. They are always being arrogant
and doing anything they like without considering the consequences. They think that
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there will be more time to fix the mistake they have ever done. At last, all the
moment, dial by dial, is only the limitation between life and death. The dial can be
taken from us at anytime without considering what we still have to do in life. Him in
the last line means God, the creator. It indicates that all the moment we have in life
will be ended by death and will bring us back to the creator. Death is a powerful
thing that can make people lose their control to themselves and can put people in
pain during the dying moment. No one can beat the death. Death is like personal
enemy.
4.3.
The Idea of Death is Personal Enemy in Poem J1716 – Death is like the
insect
Death turns the muscular body into rotten flesh, everything that matters when
the body was alive turns into dirt that means nothing to anybody. Death defeats all
the power of living creature. There is no power on earth can stop death in doing its
desk job. Like a killer with no mercy, death takes everything and leave nothing on
the dead.
MDCCXVI
Death is like the insect
Menacing the tree,
Competent to kill it,
But decoyed may be.
Bait it with the balsam,
Seek it with the saw,
Baffle, if it cost you
Everything you are.
Then, if it have burrowed
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Wring the tree and leave it,
'Tis the vermin's will.
(Dickinson:1862)
In this poem, Dickinson symbolizes death as an insect and life as a tree. The
insect represents the idea that death always causes damage and does menacing to
people. This poem shows the terrific idea of death, but we can learn how precious the
life is by seeing how death turn everything into nothing.
Death is like the insect
Menacing the tree,
Competent to kill it,
But decoyed may be.
Dickinson uses simile in tree and insect. Tree conveys the idea that people
cannot avoid death, just like the tree that can not move or run away from insects. The
insect is able to kill the tree right away but sometimes the insect put the tree in pain
before killing it. Death can come right away to someone, while to others death come
slowly and make people trap in death.
Bait it with the balsam,
Seek it with the saw,
Baffle, if it cost you
Everything you are.
In this stanza, Dickinson pictures how the insect tortures the tree. She says
the insect baitthe tree with the balsam. Death may come in pleasant way, but still
seek people with the saw, it reveals that death always brings pain. Just like the insect
that explores the tree with their saw, death also explores people with pain. This will
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make people baffle or confused. Death can be seen as a pleasant thing at first, but in
the end we all know that death will torture. It will destroy everything on the people.
Then, if it have burrowed
Out of reach of skill Wring the tree and leave it,
'Tis the vermin's will.
The first line shows that small insect is able to make hole on the tree so it can
take all the goodness from inside the tree and live there as long as they want. It
represents death that can kill people from the inside. Some dying people are seems
healthy outside but suddenly they will find out that there is illness that kill them
softly from the inside. Torturing and killing the tree are the best skill of an insect.
Insect will take everything from the tree and will leave it when there is nothing left
for them. Death’s skill or capability is only to take everything from the people. When
the people already dead and have nothing left inside the body, death’s duty is done.
Death will wring everything from the human. To let the tree die is the only will of
the vermin. Just like the insect, the death only wants to make people useless. Death
takes everything from people. People can not avoid death. People are just like the
tree that naturally attract death to come. No matter how good we take care of a tree,
one day the vermin will come and wring it to death. Once again, Dickinson portrays
death as an unbeatable enemy.
4.4.
The Idea of Death is God’s Willing in Poem J548 – Death is potential to
that Man
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Our fate and destiny are already set by God. Our birth and death are in God’s
hand. In this poem, Emily wants to show that death is the willing of God. Since only
God that can control it, whenever He wants us to die then it will be our time.
DXLVIII
Death is potential to that Man
Who dies—and to his friend—
Beyond that—unconspicuous
To Anyone but God—
Of these Two—God remembers
The longest—for the friend—
Is integral—and therefore
Itself dissolved—of God—
(Dickinson: 1862)
The poems is about two friends and their relation in death. The one who die
first is related to his friend that is still alive because one day his friend will also die.
The time of death for both of them has been set by God’s willing. Whenever God
wants them to die, they will die. Death happens because God want it. This poem
encourage us to be thankful for still having the chance to live, because when God
wants us to die, nothing in this world can escape us from His willing.
Death is potential to that Man
Who dies—and to his friend—
Beyond that—unconspicuous
To Anyone but God—
From the first line, Death is potential to that Man, we can learn that every
Man has potential to die, the opening line conveys the idea that death is for everyone,
every ‘Man’. She uses capital ‘M’ to represent all human, not only one man. In the
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second line, Who dies – and to his friend –, she indicates that everyone deserve to
die, not only the dead one, but the friend that left behind is also belong to death.
Moreover, death is not obvious. Death is unconspicuous for men, only God can
understand it. It means that no one knows when death is approaching. No one knows
when or how death will come to anyone. Only God knows about death.
Of these Two—God remembers
The longest—for the friend—
Is integral—and therefore
Itself dissolved—of God—
These two friends, who dies and his friend, God remember how they will die.
His friend got the longer time to live but God knows the longest time he will have.
God already plan the death for both of them, and for all human being. Death is only
about time, it is like an integral that connected everybody in same possibility to die
but in different range of time. ‘Who dies’ and ‘His friend’ are connected by death.
His friend’s death is about to come, his friend will also die in time and God is also
the one who will manage the death.
From this poem Dickinson want to point out the relation of two friends and
God. The both of them are just like everyone else, we are all connected by death that
already set by God. Everyone but God is potential to death. God is not potential
because He is the only one who controls death. Death is something we can not avoid
because God want it happens to us.
4.5.
The Idea of Death is Fate in Poem J749 – All but Death, can be Adjusted
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Human are created with beautiful mind. Human can create something new
with what they have in nature. Everything can be changed, can be adjusted as we
want, but death is beyond that.
DCCXLIX
All but Death, can be Adjusted—
Dynasties repaired—
Systems—settled in their Sockets—
Citadels—dissolved—
Wastes of Lives—resown with Colors
By Succeeding Springs—
Death—unto itself—Exception—
Is exempt from Change—
(Dickinson: 1863)
The first line of the first stanza has been clearly summarizing the whole
poem. Dickinson wants to point out that death cannot be changed. Death is
something that cannot be controlled by human being. Death is a destiny that has been
created for us. It is the fate that should be taken.
All but Death, can be Adjusted—
Dynasties repaired—
Systems—settled in their Sockets—
Citadels—dissolved—
The first stanza shows thing that can be changed, repaired or fixed. The
dynasties that already fell down can be revived and regain its own prosperity. The
system that contain of many thing can be united to work together in a socket.
Citadels, the old castle or fort that used to protect the people, can be abandoned and
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not be useful anymore. Everything is changing; time will heal or break things
eventually.
Wastes of Lives—resown with Colors
By Succeeding Springs—
Death—unto itself—Exception—
Is exempt from Change—
Waste of lives in the first line of stanza above, conveys the dark time in life,
the struggling and problem that always happen in life can make someone feel wasted
or down. As long as there is a life, it can be overcome and be replaced with joy.
‘Spring’ symbolizes the condition that gradually get better after a big damaged. The
flower blossom in spring after a long cold winter, brings back the warm and the joy
to the life. It means even after a great damaged, everything can be turn into
something good as long as there is life. Death is different thing, death has exception.
Everything, except death, can be changed. Death is not required to change like any
other things.
The idea is related to her belief to God. She believes that God had managed
death to everyone, so no one can change it. According to Christianity, death is a fate
that cannot be changed or adapted. Every life is assigned its destiny at birth and God
is the one who manage this process for everyone.
4.6.
The Idea of Death is Destiny in Poem J712 – Because I could not stop for
Death –
Emily Dickinson uses many kinds of figure of speech in her writings. In this
poem she personifies death as a gentleman that take a lady in a carriage to move
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from mortal life into eternity. Death is the destiny, even there is the afterlife, our
journey in life will end on death.
DCCXII
Because I could not stop for DeathHe kindly stopped for meThe Carriage held but just OurselvesAnd Immortality.
We slowly drove- He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His CivilityWe passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess- in the RingWe passed the Fields of Gazing GrainWe passed the Setting SunOr rather- He passed usThe Dews drew quivering and chillFor only Gossamer, my GownMy Tippet- only TulleWe paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the GroundThe Roof was scarcely visibleThe Cornice- in the GroundSince then- 'tis Centuries- and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity-
(Dickinson: 1863)
The first line of the stanza below shows the speaker has a busy life so she has
no time to stop for death. This implies that people are too busy living their life and
not noticing the death approaching. The death, however, stop for her like a
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gentleman that kindly take a lady into the carriage. Even we never invited death,
death will kindly stop and take us within. There are only the lady, the gentlemen and
the immortality that being in the carriage. People and death are related because there
is mortality. Every people are mortal, we cannot live forever, that is why death
comes and takes us in the carriage.
Because I could not stop for DeathHe kindly stopped for meThe Carriage held but just OurselvesAnd Immortality.
The second stanza below ironically explains that our life time is prepared to
welcome the death. The gentleman drives slowly because he does not want to be
hurry. The lady has devoted all her lifetime, her labor and her free time, to be in the
journey with the gentleman and to show her respect to him. Death approaches people
in the slow and steady way, it does not come in hurry because the time is already set
for everyone.
We slowly drove- He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility-
Some words in the third stanza below are symbol; school;fields of gazing
grain; and setting sun. Those words portray the life cycle. School symbolizes
childhood since school is identical with children. Fields of gazing grain refers to
productive adulthood, just like the soil on field provides minerals and nutrition to
grow the grain. Setting sun refers to the last time of life, as the bright sun goes down
and the dark of the night starts embracing the world. Dickinson repeats word
‘passed’ to show that the gentleman had known her since long time ago. The
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gentleman, the death, is already with us since the very first day of our life, from our
childhood to the last time of our life. Death has been watching for us since we were
created.
We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess- in the RingWe passed the Fields of Gazing GrainWe passed the Setting Sun-
Dickinson shows how it feels when death is coming in the fourth stanza
below. Death has passed us; she and all her lifetime. The dews make her trembling
and cold. She only wears gossamer, a thin gown that cannot bare the cold from the
dew. As we know, dead body is cold for there is no more blood pressure that brings
heat over the body. In other word, when the death is approaching, it feels like she
only wear a thin gown that let the cold of death freeze her body.
Or rather- He passed usThe Dews drew quivering and chillFor only Gossamer, my GownMy Tippet- only Tulle-
In the next stanza below, Dickinson describes a tomb by using capital on
word GROUND to emphasize the idea of tomb. A house which is placed under the
ground with no visible roof and is decorated by cornice on the surface, is portraying
a tomb. After the death coming, the dead body will be buried in the tomb, but it is not
the end yet. As written on the Bible, all the dead people will wait the judgment day
for receiving the eternal life in heaven or eternal flame in hell. It can be said that
according to her, tomb is like a waiting room for dead people to be judged.
We paused before a House that seemed
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The Roof was scarcely visibleThe Cornice- in the Ground-
As written on the last stanza below, Since then- 'tis Centuries- and yet/Feels
shorter than the Day, we can see that time is no longer being a concern when we are
dead. Even the century feels like shorter than a DAY when we are dead. Time is no
more being a limitation. Then Dickinson finally realize where the horse are heading,
into eternity. This implies that even our body is already dead but our soul are still
alive forever. She admit the existence of life after death.
Since then- 'tis Centuries- and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity-
The ride with the gentleman may pass many roads and may take the lady to
many places. One thing for sure, the journey will end in eternity. We can plan our
life very carefully but death is our destiny. We can get through or experience many
things in life but all of us will end in death.
4.7.
The Idea of Death is Transition in Poem J949 – Under the Light, yet
under
Humans live in two dimensions; physical and spiritual. The spirit live in our
body because our body is considered as a temporary home for the spirit. When our
body die, the spirit will still live in spiritual dimension, because spirit is believed as
immortal and unlimited. This idea can be found in every religion, in this case the
writer takes Christian as the example for Emily Dickinson was lived in puritan era. In
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Christian, they believe in afterlife. The dead people’s spirit will live eternally. In
poem J949, Dickinson brings this idea by picturing the transition process.
CMXLIX
Under the Light, yet under,
Under the Grass and the Dirt,
Under the Beetle's Cellar
Under the Clover's Root,
Further than Arm could stretch
Were it Giant long,
Further than Sunshine could
Were the Day Year long,
Over the Light, yet over,
Over the Arc of the Bird—
Over the Comet's chimney—
Over the Cubit's Head,
Further than Guess can gallop
Further than Riddle ride—
Oh for a Disc to the Distance
Between Ourselves and the Dead!
(Dickinson: 1864)
From this poem, we can say Dickinson assumes death as a transition. The
soul or spirit of the dead will be separated from the body. Life is transited to another
place above everything in this world; to heaven, to the Kingdom of God, and no one
can avoid it. In an ABAB stanza scheme, Dickinson reiterates the distance between
the dead and the living. She uses repetition of under and over to emphasize the
distance.
By discussing the first stanza below, we can see how Dickinson uses
repetition of under to portray the position of something. Grass and Dirt is found on
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the ground. Beetle’s Cellar is the place for beetle, kind of insects, to store their food
and it is usually built under the ground.Clover’s Root is also placed on the ground.
When we pay attention on Grass and Dirt; Beetle’s Cellar; and Clover’s Root, we
can see that those places are also the repetition of meaning. Dickinson wants to
describe a place under the ground. As we all know, dead body are usually buried
under the ground, some may be cremated, but in this case she uses ground to portray
how far the dead bodies will be placed.
Under the Light, yet under,
Under the Grass and the Dirt,
Under the Beetle's Cellar
Under the Clover's Root,
The second stanza below is emphasizing the distance. Repetition of further
indicates that the distance is beyond our expectations. Even our Arm can be stretched
as big as the giant’s arm, we are still not able to reach the dead. Even the sunshine’s
ability to hold the day is not long enough to find the dead.
Further than Arm could stretch
Were it Giant long,
Further than Sunshine could
Were the Day Year long,
In the third stanza below, Dickinson twists the plot by changing ‘under’ with
‘over’, it is also used to emphasize how far the distance is. It describes even the
bodies of the dead are buried, the souls of the dead will go up above. The souls are
too far to reach, it’s over the highest height the bird can fly, it is on the furthest part
of the comet. Cubit’s head refers to a verse in Bible which said ‘Which of you by
taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?’ (KJV Matthew 6:27). Even we
can add any cubits to our stature we still can’t reach them.
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Over the Light, yet over,
Over the Arc of the Bird—
Over the Comet's chimney—
Over the Cubit's Head,
The souls of the dead are so far away from us, no Guess or Riddle can find
them. The distance of life and death is like two things on the different side of the rim
that will never reach each other. When people die, they like across to another side of
the rim so they can not meet the living anymore. There is no turning back in death.
The last line on this stanza below is the keyword that shows the main idea of the
poem. Dickinson is describing the distance of the living and the dead, because death
is transiting the dead people to far away beyond everyone’s expectations.
Further than Guess can gallop
Further than Riddle ride—
Oh for a Disc to the Distance
Between Ourselves and the Dead!
Dickinson is describing the distance between the living and the dead, because
death is transiting the dead people to far away place that is beyond everyone’s
expectations.
4.8.
The Idea of Death is Transition in Poem J539 – I heard, as if I had no
Ear
The senses are the proof of life’s existence. The body is dead when it lost all
the senses toward everything. In poem J539, Dickinson is also discussing death as
the transition process. She pictures the moment of entering the afterlife by describing
how the dead get the senses back.
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MXXXIX
I heard, as if I had no Ear
Until a Vital Word
Came all the way from Life to me
And then I knew I heard.
I saw, as if my Eye were on
Another, till a Thing
And now I know 'twas Light, because
It fitted them, came In.
I dwelt, as if Myself were out,
My Body but within
Until a Might detected me
And set my kernel in.
And Spirit turned unto the Dust
"Old Friend, thou knowest me,"
And Time went out to tell the News
And met Eternity
(Dickinson: 1865)
In this poem Dickinson shows the moment of her soul separate from her
body. Dickinson use to explain the transition process and this helps the reader
understand the subject’s true feeling. She also wants to point out that afterlife is also
controlled by God. The afterlife that the speaker got consider death as the reward.
I heard, as if I had no Ear
Until a Vital Word
Came all the way from Life to me
And then I knew I heard.
In the first stanza above, the speaker is losing her hearing ability when her
body die. She can not feel her ears but still can hear the sound. By the time she
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listens a Vital Word that tell about the Life after death. She finally realizes she is still
alive by hearing the voice.
I saw, as if my Eye were on
Another, till a Thing
And now I know 'twas Light, because
It fitted them, came In.
The speaker is also describing the lost of her sight when her body is already
dead in the next stanza above. She can’t see anything but still can feel a Light. She
portrays her dead body by mentioning her ears and eyes that can’t work properly, but
she is still able to feel the surrounding.
Life and Light picture the life after death that already waits for her to come.
When she is start hearing and seeing again, it becomes the signal of her soul’s
transition from her dead body. It is like a rebirth into the new life after her death.
I dwelt, as if Myself were out,
My Body but within
Until a Might detected me
And set my kernel in.
In the stanza above, the speaker pictures the transition from death to the new
life. She portrays the moment when her body turns into dust and her soul goes out
from her dead body to enter the new beginning of life. Her soul enters a kernel, until
the Might detected her coming. Might symbolizes God, it indicates God as the only
one who control all this transition. God is the only one who can set human soul to
enter a new life.
And Spirit turned unto the Dust
"Old Friend, thou knowest me,"
And Time went out to tell the News
And met Eternity
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The last stanza above portrays the moment when the Spirit say goodbye to the
dead body that will turn into Dust. The spirit was friend with the body until the death
come and kills the body. The dead body had known the spirit so well. By the time,
the spirit hears the good News and then leave the dead body to meet Eternity.
In this poem, Dickinson describes death in positive image. Death is not really
the end of everything; moreover it is a new beginning to eternal life. It may feel
terrible to our body, but our soul will get a chance to live forever.
4.9.
The Idea of Death is Natural Thing in Poem J1147 – After a hundred
years
People die every day. Everyone will die eventually, it is only about time. This
phenomenon makes all people equal. In this poem, Dickinson shows that death is not
as dramatic as people usually think.
MCXLVII
After a hundred years
Nobody knows the Place
Agony that enacted there
Motionless as Peace
Weeds triumphant ranged
Strangers strolled and spelled
At the lone Orthography
Of the Elder Dead
Winds of Summer Fields
Recollect the way -Instinct picking up the Key
Dropped by memory --
(Dickinson: 1869)
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In this poem, Dickinson considered death as the natural thing that do not need
to be dramatized.
After a long time, no one will know the place. As written in the first stanza
below, the place refers to the tomb as agony had been there before. Time after time,
the agony will be replaced by peace. Tomb is where all the agony lied at the time the
dead were buried, all the sadness, tear and grieves were buried together with the dead
body.
After a hundred years
Nobody knows the Place
Agony that enacted there
Motionless as Peace
We usually find ‘Rest In Peace’ in a tomb. Peace, in the last line on stanza
above, emphasizes that the place refers to a tomb. As the time goes by, all the agony
will be away and all the mourners will find the soul of the dead is already rest in
peace.
Weeds triumphant ranged
Strangers strolled and spelled
At the lone Orthography
Of the Elder Dead
Dickinson describes an overgrown, disused graveyard by stating weeds
triumphant ranged in the first line of the stanza above. The ‘elder dead’ is now being
forgotten. Everyone will die; everyone will be forgotten as all the people that know
the dead will also die. No one will remember the agony that were buried there. As
the time goes by, it is only stranger that will visit the tomb. All things that can be
remembered about the dead is only what was written on their tomb; name, birth and
dead time.
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Winds of Summer Fields
Recollect the way -Instinct picking up the Key
Dropped by memory --
In the last stanza above, Dickinson shows her positive attitude towards death.
At least, the summer winds visit the grave. Summer winds will be the only one who
remember the way there by instinct, when memory has lost the Key.
Dickinson points out the human’s nature in death. Everyone will die; the one
that we cry on today could be us at any time. Other people will also cry on our dead
body. Everyone will cry on the dead agony and by the time no one will remember it
anymore. Death is only the end of life, it’s not something that we should be afraid
for, because every thing will be better in time. The living will move on and die in the
right time. What matter the most is how we live our life as long as we have the
chance.
4.10. The Idea of Death is Gift in Poem J1272 – So proud she was to die
Life is a gift, and death is a curse. It is a stereotype that has been built in our
society. In poem J1272, Dickinson is against that though. She wants to show that
sometimes, death can cause a jealousy when the dead people seems so ready to die.
Sometimes, death can be a gift that you really want to get.
MCCLXXII
So proud she was to die
It made us all ashamed
That what we cherished, so unknown
To her desire seemed So satisfied to go
Where none of us should be
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Immediately - that Anguish stooped
Almost to Jealousy (Dickinson: 1873)
This poem is about a dying woman who seems so proud and satisfied to die.
Her pride makes the mourners ashamed and almost jealous. Death is taken as a
reward in this poem, since the mourners envy the way she die.
So proud she was to die
It made us all ashamed
That what we cherished, so unknown
To her desire seemed -
In the first line of the stanza above, Dickinson points out the feeling that the
dying woman has shown to the mourners, they can see how proud she is to die. To
die is like an achievement that needs to be proud of. She describes death with
positive tone. It made all the mourners ashamed, it refers to the pride on her dead
face. They will cherish if she could live longer, but actually to die is assumed as the
dead woman’s desire.
So satisfied to go
Where none of us should be
Immediately - that Anguish stooped
Almost to Jealousy -
The dead woman also shows the satisfaction of dying as written in the second
stanza above. The mourner think she should not be dead, but the truth is everyone
will die because human is mortal. When the mourner recognize the satisfaction on
her face, suddenly the anguish stoop. They are almost jealous to the dead woman.
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She is so ready to die, while all of the mourners are so eager to go on living. Instead
of feeling grief at her death, the mourners almost envy her.
4.11. The Idea of Death is Natural Thing in Poem J1256 – Not any higher
stands the Grave
Everyone is considered to be equal, but in fact the social status in society is
the proof that we are not actually equal to each other. In death, thing is different.
Everyone is truly equal because death is the nature of human which should happen to
anyone with no exception.
MCCLVI
Not any higher stands the Grave
For Heroes than for Men Not any nearer for the
Child Than numb Three score and Ten This latest Leisure equal lulls
The Beggar and his Queen
Propitiate this Democrat
A Summer's Afternoon -
(Dickinson: 1873)
Dickinson views death in various ways; she gives new angles to death. She
represents death as the one who asserts supreme form of justice. It treats everyone in
equal way. Everyone is equal in the eye of death. Death doesn’t know the difference
of social status, age and walk of life. Everyone, with no exception, will meet the
death in their own time. She conveys this idea by describing the grave. She
considered death as the leveler.
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Not any higher stands the Grave
For Heroes than for Men Not any nearer for the
Child Than numb Three score and Ten -
The first stanza above portrays the equality in the eyes of death. The grave for
the hero and usual man will stand on the same height. There is no difference on the
grave, both of them will be buried under the same ground. The grave for the child
would not be nearer than the grave for the seventieth people. Grave symbolizes
death, it will be the same for everyone. Experiences and ages will not change how
death treat people. High position in social status will not avoid death to come. The
young age will not keep someone from death. Death is equal for everyone; it will
come in anytime, anyplace and to anyone.
This latest Leisure equal lulls
The Beggar and his Queen
Propitiate this Democrat
A Summer's Afternoon -
The latest leisure on the first line of the stanza above, refers to the grave. The
grave is considered as a lull place, there are peace, satisfaction and safety that wait
for them. This last leisure offers relaxation and satisfaction. the beggar and the queen
will be both get that lulls. To know this, they may fear the death, but both of them try
to appease with this democrat since they know what is waiting for them in the grave.
They can see the lulls as the gracious mien of the summer that offers joy, warmness
and sincerity when they are in the grave.
In this poem, Dickinson describes death as something that make all people
equal. Death is portrayed as a natural process that belongs to everyone. Human has
right to rest in peace; last leisure that will bring lulls.
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4.12. The Idea of Death is Transition in Poem J1399 – Perhaps they do not go
so far
As the writer said before, human live in two dimensions. When someone is
dead, their body may gone forever but no one knows what will happen to the spirit.
In poem J1399, Dickinson expresses her thought about the possibility that can
happen to the spirit.
MCCCXCIX
Perhaps they do not go so far
As we who stay, suppose Perhaps come closer, for the flight
Of their corporeal clothes It may be, know so certainly
How short we have to fear
That comprehension fluctuates
And There - commences - Here -
(Dickinson: 1877)
Dickinson sent the first stanza of this poem in a letter (L517) to Thomas
Higginson on his wife’s death in September 1877. The letter begins, ‘Dear Friend. If
I could help you?’ Then comes the poem. Finally she ends the letter by saying, ‘Did
she know she was leaving you? The Wilderness is new – to you. Master, let me lead
you.’ She also sent the whole poem in a letter (L518) to the sisters of her uncle,
William Dickinson, to console them for the death of their father.
People used to use ‘gone’ to represent dead. When someone dies people used
to say “He’s gone” Instead of “He’s dead”. Saying dead seems like the person just
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dead, final state, no passing on, no afterlife, just dead. The ‘gone’ conveys the idea
that the person will go somewhere else, to the life after death. In this poem, Emily is
against this idea. She said that the dead people were actually just transform into spirit
and never go anywhere. It is not really a big deal since death is only the transition
from dust into spirit.
Perhaps they do not go so far
As we who stay, suppose Perhaps come closer, for the flight
Of their corporeal clothes -
In the first stanza above, Dickinson offers a possibility by using perhaps. She
is not certainly sure about it but she wants to show that it is possible. They, represents
dead people, do not go so far. The living may feel it’s too far from the dead but it is
actually because they don’t go anywhere either. The living was left by the dead, but
the truth is dead people cannot go anywhere. They will only lay in their grave, but
they have been closer to the lapse, transformation process that was managed by God.
Dickinson believed the dead people only leave their corporal clothes which is
referring to the dead body. Dead people only turn into spirit, they don’t go anywhere
further.
It is known very well that death always come in sudden, no one is prepared
enough to face the death. Most of the people scare of death, even the thought of
someone’s dead is scary enough to talk about. In the second stanza below, Dickinson
wonders if in the time zone of the dead people, the time before we join them may be
just so short. It means that time for dead people is not important anymore, so we do
not need to be scare to wait our death to come.
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It may be, know so certainly
How short we have to fear
That comprehension fluctuates
And There - commences - Here -
In this poem Dickinson portray death as the transition that was managed by
God. Dead people never go anywhere, they just turn into spirit. The transition time is
randomly set by God to any one, no one can expect but one thing for sure everyone
will be turned into spirit.
4.13. The Idea of Death is Gift in Poem J976 – Death is a Dialogue between
Physically, human are alive if their body work properly and still show the
sign of living like breathing, eating and responsive. Spiritually, the soul will never
die. People believe that spirit only stay at the body for a while. When the body die,
the spirit will still have chance to live in another life. Death is the reward for giving
another chance to live in different life.
XCLXXVI
Death is a Dialogue between
The Spirit and the Dust.
"Dissolve" says Death,
The Spirit "Sir
I have another Trust" Death doubts it Argues from the Ground The Spirit turns away
Just laying off for evidence
An Overcoat of Clay.
(Dickinson: 1882)
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Poem J976 points out the idea of people live in two dimensions by
personifying the dead body and the spirit as two friends that argue each other. The
dead body believes that they are already done, but the spirit declines it because the
spirit believe that there is a life after death.
Death is a Dialogue between
The Spirit and the Dust.
"Dissolve" says Death,
The Spirit "Sir
I have another Trust" -
The first stanza above shows the argument between The spirit and the Dust,
they have different faith after the death come. The Dust which represents the dead
body, tells that everything has gone. The dust says Dissolve! as the body has stop
working and no longer has sign of living. In other hand, the spirit says that it has
another trust! as a defends. The spirit believes that there is another stage of life that
can be entered after the death.
The second stanza below emphasizes the idea by portraying how death argues
from the ground. As we know, dead people are buried in the ground, this line wants
to show that the dead body has already buried for be
METHOD OF RESEARCH
3.1.
Research Design
The writer used qualitative research because the object of analysis is form in
qualitative and descriptive data. Moleong (1995: 2) states that descriptive qualitative
research is defined as the qualitative research, a type of research which does not
include any calculation or enumerating. Qualitative data is usually formed in words
rather than numbers. They are source of well-grounded, rich descriptions and
explanations of processes in identifiable contexts. Miles & Huberman (1994: 10) add
that with qualitative research, someone can preserve chronological flow and see
precisely which events led to consequences and derive faithful explanation.
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Qualitative research is in accordance with this study due to several reasons.
First, the aim of this study is focused on the ‘‘qualities’’ of Dickinson’s idea about
death. Second, the object of analysis is poem and literature which is related to her
work, therefore the data is formed in text and not numbers. Third, this study tries to
explore what is Dickinson’s idea as reflected in her poems and thereby expose the
shortcomings of everyday understandings as qualitative research which explores
complexities.
The main source of this analysis is taken from the poems. The data are in
form of quotations which are selected from Dickinson’s poems. The selection is
oriented on the text which has connection with death context as reflected in poem.
The quotations has been analyzed through textual analysis. The writer used content
analysis which is the branch of textual analysis. Content Analysis is used to identify,
enumerate, and analyze occurrences of specific messages and message characteristics
embedded in texts.
3.2.
Data Collecting
In collecting the data, the writer needs some instruments for this thesis. The
writer has been finding some poems from Emily Dickinson that are reflecting her
idea of death. The writer has visited the library and browsed the internet to find any
related literature to her works and background of life, then the writer begun to read it
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carefully to take down notes and to compose it properly. The poem had been studied
carefully, line by line, to find out the relation with the analysis.
3.3.
Data Analysis
Poem is written in several stanzas, in general, poem is written in three, four,
six, eight or nine stanzas. In case of Dickinson’s poem, it can be written in
unpredictable number since she does not follow the traditional order in writing
poems. In this analysis, the writer had examined each stanza from the selected poems
and had interpreted the content based on Dickinson’s background of life.
As the writer takes content analysis as the research method, the poem had
been first examined as what it was written. Paraphrase analysis which find the literal
meaning of the poem had been conducted, after that the writer pointed out the real
idea of the poem that can be seen on certain words or stanza in the poem.It is quite
difficult to find the main idea since Dickinson’s style of writing is unique. It will be
easy to find the theme or idea of the poem if the poet put the title that can be the
center of whole poems, but Dickinson used number to name the poem. It can be
assumed that this style of entitling is an influence of Shakespear who is famous poet
and play writer in her era.
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
4.
Emily Dickinson’s Idea about Death
Emily Dickinson is unpredictable poet who uses many figures of speech in
her writing. Dickinson uses personification, simile, sarcasm, irony and imagery to
talk about death. This style of writing sometime puts the writer in confusion to find
her idea because she likes to use unusual word to represent death. In other word, she
has no clear ideas about death. She takes death as a reward in some poems and she
also takes death as an irony in other poems.
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4.1.
The Idea of Death is Gift in Poem J160 – Just lost, when I was saved!
Have you ever experienced the dying moment? For some people it may be so
frightening to talk about, but for Emily Dickinson it is the moment that should be
expected in lifetime and be shared to everyone if they have a chance. In this poem,
Dickinson portrays death as a gift that is too worth to be missed. Death is a savage
from the chaos. She rather chooses death even she would lost all her senses, because
she believes death will bring her to eternity and peace.
CLX
Just lost, when I was saved!
Just felt the world go by!
Just girt me for the onset with Eternity,
When breath blew back,
And on the other side
I heard recede the disappointed tide!
Therefore, as One returned, I feel
Odd secrets of the line to tell!
Some Sailor, skirting foreign shores—
Some pale Reporter, from the awful doors
Before the Seal!
Next time, to stay!
Next time, the things to see
By Ear unheard,
Unscrutinized by Eye—
Next time, to tarry,
While the Ages steal—
Slow tramp the Centuries,
And the Cycles wheel!
(Dickinson, 1860)
Dickinson states she is lost when she wassaved in the first line. She just feel
the world goes by and she just get closer to eternity. As the breath blows back into
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her lungs, she can hear the disappointment. In the second stanza, the speaker
returned and though that she has revealed a secret. She needs to tell the odd secrets
of the line to everyone. She feels like a sailor that has avoided the foreign shores and
like a reporter who get back from covering an awful news. Nevertheless, next time
when she has another chance to get lost, she really wants to stay. She wants to feel
something that unheard by ears and unscrutinized by eyes. She really wants to tarry,
which also means stay, if she has a chance to be lost again someday. As she is
waiting for the lost to come again, she will live the centuries and enjoy the cycle.
In this poem, Emily talks about death that almost come to her. She feels
disappointed because her breath brings her back to life. Death is something that is
worth to wait, it is like a gift that is given by chance. Even she wants to die but she
still encourage herself to live her life to the fullest while waiting the death to come
again.
Just lost, when I was saved!
Just felt the world go by!
Just girt me for the onset with Eternity,
When breath blew back,
And on the other side
I heard recede the disappointed tide!
From the first stanza above, Dickinson wants to point out that death is
a boundary between her mortal life to eternity. She feels safe when she knows that
she was about to die. Save and lost can be related to Christianity terms about life and
death. In Christianity, dead person will be saved by God and have eternal life in
heaven. Life is always considered as the chaos that give so much cruelty. It can be
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said that life is a chaos that make people need to die to be saved from life. It is the
reason of her disappointment when she knows that life is saving her from death.
Therefore, as One returned, I feel
Odd secrets of the line to tell!
Some Sailor, skirting foreign shores—
Some pale Reporter, from the awful doors
Before the Seal!
The second stanza above explains the moment when Dickinson is pulled back
to life andsuddenly feeling so strange. She feels like she has an odd secret that needs
to be told to everyone. She considers herself as a sailor who has avoided the foreign
shores therefor she needs to tell everyone about the shores, and also as a reporter that
has got back from covering an awful case and she needs to report the news. She
feels like she has missed something big and scary; however she believes it was the
gate for better beginning of something.
Next time, to stay!
Next time, the things to see
By Ear unheard,
Unscrutinized by Eye—
Dickinson wonders to stay when the death makes another visit in the future in
the stanza above. She promises herself to stay with death even she may lose her
senses. She believes her sight and hearing are not everything she needs, she is rather
losing the senses than the chance to be with death. She believes that her soul can hear
the unheard voice and see the unscrutinized sight.
Next time, to stay!
Next time, the things to see
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By Ear unheard,
Unscrutinized by Eye—
The last stanza above asserts Dickinson’s desire to stay by meaning’s
repetition in tarry, which still has same meaning with stay. During her waiting for
the death to come back, she will keep living her life. The word’s repetition of ‘next
time’ and meaning’s repetition on ‘stay’ and ‘tarry’ is the key that conveys her desire
to be with death. Death is something that she expects to come since life is already
unwanted to be fought for. Death is the reward, the escape from the chaos.
4.2.
The Idea of Death is Personal Enemy in Poem J278 – A Clock StoppedTime is the beginning and the end for everything. Time may heal or even
break things in our life, but when the time is over, there will be nothing to expect. In
poem 278, Dickinson applies metaphor by comparing death to a broken clock to
show how dreadful the death can be. As the clock stop working, the time also stop
ticking. There is no more possibility that can be given by time.
CCLXXVIII
A Clock stopped –
Not the Mantel's –
Geneva's farthest skill
Can't put the puppet bowing –
That just now dangled still –
An awe came on the Trinket!
The Figures hunched, with pain –
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Then quivered out of Decimals –
Into Degreeless Noon –
It will not stir for Doctors –
This Pendulum of snow –
This Shopman importunes it –
While cool – concernless No –
Nods from the Gilded pointers –
Nods from the Seconds slim –
Decades of Arrogance between
The Dial life –
And Him –
(Dickinson,1861)
In this poem Dickinson describes how her subject suffers from the dying
moment. Death is something powerful that can torture someone with no mercy. She
shows her pessimistic idea about death with casual diction. She wants to describe
what death can do to ruin someone’s life.
A Clock stopped –
Not the Mantel's –
Geneva's farthest skill
Can't put the puppet bowing –
That just now dangled still –
In the first line, A clock stopped –, Dickinson portrays the moment when the
subject’s heart is stop beating. The simple clipped syllables echoes the last clang. She
describes what kind of clock that she is talking about as she explains in the second
line, Not the mantel’s. Mantel is the kind of clock which used to be placed on the
table or fireplace. Later on, we will understand that it is the wall clock for she
mentions about the puppet of the clock. In the third line she states, Geneva’s farthest
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skill, Geneva refers to Switzerland which is well known as the best producer of high
quality clocks and watches. The clock that she mentions is made by the best creator.
This line teaches us that even the best person we know will die too. Everyone will
die no matter how good they are. In the next line she writes, Can’t put the puppy
bowing, the puppet represents the dead people. Dead people are like the puppet of the
broken clock, they need alive person to move. The last line pictures how the puppet
is hanging with no ability to move, she says, That just now dangled still.
An awe came on the Trinket!
The Figures hunched, with pain –
Then quivered out of Decimals –
Into Degreeless Noon –
In the second stanza, Dickinson shows how death tortures dead people.
As written in the first line above, An awe came on the trinket!, death makes people
valueless. Awe is the feeling of dread, wondering something frightening. She
wonders what will happen to the trinket. Trinket is a valueless gift or souvenir, it
represents dead people’s value. They lost their value as they already dead. The
figures, the dead body, were tortured and hunched with the pain. In the next line, she
denotes the impossibility which is caused by death. She says now the quivered is out
of decimals into degreeless noon, decimals refer to the possibilitiesand when the
hands of the clock already stop at degreeless noon, it means there is no more
possibilities for the dead body.
It will not stir for Doctors –
This Pendulum of snow –
This Shopman importunes it –
While cool – concernless No –
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The stanza above asserts that death can not be controlled. Even doctors will
not able to stir the clock. The word ‘doctors’ helps us to understand that she is
actually not talking about real clock. Doctor is not qualified in repairing clock, he is
responsible in taking care people. In this case we can clearly understands that she is
comparing the dead people to the broken clock. In the next line she pictures that the
pendulum is already freeze; not moving anymore, The shopman try to importunes,
but he still can not fix the clock. When the shop-man realizes the clock is already
stop working, he doesn’t want to concern about it anymore. The doctors also do not
want to stir anything to help dead people. It is not because they do not want to, but
because they know there is nothing to do with the dead body or with the broken
clock. Death is unchangeable, no matter how hard they try to fix it.
Nods from the Gilded pointers –
Nods from the Seconds slim –
Decades of Arrogance between
The Dial life –
And Him –
In the first line Dickinson writes Nods from the Gilded pointers, we can learn
it explains the move from the first hand of clock, the short one. She also writes, Nods
from the second slim, it explains the move from the second hand, the long one. Nod
is the move of our head to show our agreement or positive respond towards
something. In this poem, the nodding seems to be the time or moment that we have
during the life time. In the third line she writes, Decades of arrogan between, it
portrays the moment that was filled by the arrogance. People tend to live their life on
their own way which is not always be the best way. They are always being arrogant
and doing anything they like without considering the consequences. They think that
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there will be more time to fix the mistake they have ever done. At last, all the
moment, dial by dial, is only the limitation between life and death. The dial can be
taken from us at anytime without considering what we still have to do in life. Him in
the last line means God, the creator. It indicates that all the moment we have in life
will be ended by death and will bring us back to the creator. Death is a powerful
thing that can make people lose their control to themselves and can put people in
pain during the dying moment. No one can beat the death. Death is like personal
enemy.
4.3.
The Idea of Death is Personal Enemy in Poem J1716 – Death is like the
insect
Death turns the muscular body into rotten flesh, everything that matters when
the body was alive turns into dirt that means nothing to anybody. Death defeats all
the power of living creature. There is no power on earth can stop death in doing its
desk job. Like a killer with no mercy, death takes everything and leave nothing on
the dead.
MDCCXVI
Death is like the insect
Menacing the tree,
Competent to kill it,
But decoyed may be.
Bait it with the balsam,
Seek it with the saw,
Baffle, if it cost you
Everything you are.
Then, if it have burrowed
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Wring the tree and leave it,
'Tis the vermin's will.
(Dickinson:1862)
In this poem, Dickinson symbolizes death as an insect and life as a tree. The
insect represents the idea that death always causes damage and does menacing to
people. This poem shows the terrific idea of death, but we can learn how precious the
life is by seeing how death turn everything into nothing.
Death is like the insect
Menacing the tree,
Competent to kill it,
But decoyed may be.
Dickinson uses simile in tree and insect. Tree conveys the idea that people
cannot avoid death, just like the tree that can not move or run away from insects. The
insect is able to kill the tree right away but sometimes the insect put the tree in pain
before killing it. Death can come right away to someone, while to others death come
slowly and make people trap in death.
Bait it with the balsam,
Seek it with the saw,
Baffle, if it cost you
Everything you are.
In this stanza, Dickinson pictures how the insect tortures the tree. She says
the insect baitthe tree with the balsam. Death may come in pleasant way, but still
seek people with the saw, it reveals that death always brings pain. Just like the insect
that explores the tree with their saw, death also explores people with pain. This will
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make people baffle or confused. Death can be seen as a pleasant thing at first, but in
the end we all know that death will torture. It will destroy everything on the people.
Then, if it have burrowed
Out of reach of skill Wring the tree and leave it,
'Tis the vermin's will.
The first line shows that small insect is able to make hole on the tree so it can
take all the goodness from inside the tree and live there as long as they want. It
represents death that can kill people from the inside. Some dying people are seems
healthy outside but suddenly they will find out that there is illness that kill them
softly from the inside. Torturing and killing the tree are the best skill of an insect.
Insect will take everything from the tree and will leave it when there is nothing left
for them. Death’s skill or capability is only to take everything from the people. When
the people already dead and have nothing left inside the body, death’s duty is done.
Death will wring everything from the human. To let the tree die is the only will of
the vermin. Just like the insect, the death only wants to make people useless. Death
takes everything from people. People can not avoid death. People are just like the
tree that naturally attract death to come. No matter how good we take care of a tree,
one day the vermin will come and wring it to death. Once again, Dickinson portrays
death as an unbeatable enemy.
4.4.
The Idea of Death is God’s Willing in Poem J548 – Death is potential to
that Man
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Our fate and destiny are already set by God. Our birth and death are in God’s
hand. In this poem, Emily wants to show that death is the willing of God. Since only
God that can control it, whenever He wants us to die then it will be our time.
DXLVIII
Death is potential to that Man
Who dies—and to his friend—
Beyond that—unconspicuous
To Anyone but God—
Of these Two—God remembers
The longest—for the friend—
Is integral—and therefore
Itself dissolved—of God—
(Dickinson: 1862)
The poems is about two friends and their relation in death. The one who die
first is related to his friend that is still alive because one day his friend will also die.
The time of death for both of them has been set by God’s willing. Whenever God
wants them to die, they will die. Death happens because God want it. This poem
encourage us to be thankful for still having the chance to live, because when God
wants us to die, nothing in this world can escape us from His willing.
Death is potential to that Man
Who dies—and to his friend—
Beyond that—unconspicuous
To Anyone but God—
From the first line, Death is potential to that Man, we can learn that every
Man has potential to die, the opening line conveys the idea that death is for everyone,
every ‘Man’. She uses capital ‘M’ to represent all human, not only one man. In the
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second line, Who dies – and to his friend –, she indicates that everyone deserve to
die, not only the dead one, but the friend that left behind is also belong to death.
Moreover, death is not obvious. Death is unconspicuous for men, only God can
understand it. It means that no one knows when death is approaching. No one knows
when or how death will come to anyone. Only God knows about death.
Of these Two—God remembers
The longest—for the friend—
Is integral—and therefore
Itself dissolved—of God—
These two friends, who dies and his friend, God remember how they will die.
His friend got the longer time to live but God knows the longest time he will have.
God already plan the death for both of them, and for all human being. Death is only
about time, it is like an integral that connected everybody in same possibility to die
but in different range of time. ‘Who dies’ and ‘His friend’ are connected by death.
His friend’s death is about to come, his friend will also die in time and God is also
the one who will manage the death.
From this poem Dickinson want to point out the relation of two friends and
God. The both of them are just like everyone else, we are all connected by death that
already set by God. Everyone but God is potential to death. God is not potential
because He is the only one who controls death. Death is something we can not avoid
because God want it happens to us.
4.5.
The Idea of Death is Fate in Poem J749 – All but Death, can be Adjusted
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Human are created with beautiful mind. Human can create something new
with what they have in nature. Everything can be changed, can be adjusted as we
want, but death is beyond that.
DCCXLIX
All but Death, can be Adjusted—
Dynasties repaired—
Systems—settled in their Sockets—
Citadels—dissolved—
Wastes of Lives—resown with Colors
By Succeeding Springs—
Death—unto itself—Exception—
Is exempt from Change—
(Dickinson: 1863)
The first line of the first stanza has been clearly summarizing the whole
poem. Dickinson wants to point out that death cannot be changed. Death is
something that cannot be controlled by human being. Death is a destiny that has been
created for us. It is the fate that should be taken.
All but Death, can be Adjusted—
Dynasties repaired—
Systems—settled in their Sockets—
Citadels—dissolved—
The first stanza shows thing that can be changed, repaired or fixed. The
dynasties that already fell down can be revived and regain its own prosperity. The
system that contain of many thing can be united to work together in a socket.
Citadels, the old castle or fort that used to protect the people, can be abandoned and
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not be useful anymore. Everything is changing; time will heal or break things
eventually.
Wastes of Lives—resown with Colors
By Succeeding Springs—
Death—unto itself—Exception—
Is exempt from Change—
Waste of lives in the first line of stanza above, conveys the dark time in life,
the struggling and problem that always happen in life can make someone feel wasted
or down. As long as there is a life, it can be overcome and be replaced with joy.
‘Spring’ symbolizes the condition that gradually get better after a big damaged. The
flower blossom in spring after a long cold winter, brings back the warm and the joy
to the life. It means even after a great damaged, everything can be turn into
something good as long as there is life. Death is different thing, death has exception.
Everything, except death, can be changed. Death is not required to change like any
other things.
The idea is related to her belief to God. She believes that God had managed
death to everyone, so no one can change it. According to Christianity, death is a fate
that cannot be changed or adapted. Every life is assigned its destiny at birth and God
is the one who manage this process for everyone.
4.6.
The Idea of Death is Destiny in Poem J712 – Because I could not stop for
Death –
Emily Dickinson uses many kinds of figure of speech in her writings. In this
poem she personifies death as a gentleman that take a lady in a carriage to move
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from mortal life into eternity. Death is the destiny, even there is the afterlife, our
journey in life will end on death.
DCCXII
Because I could not stop for DeathHe kindly stopped for meThe Carriage held but just OurselvesAnd Immortality.
We slowly drove- He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His CivilityWe passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess- in the RingWe passed the Fields of Gazing GrainWe passed the Setting SunOr rather- He passed usThe Dews drew quivering and chillFor only Gossamer, my GownMy Tippet- only TulleWe paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the GroundThe Roof was scarcely visibleThe Cornice- in the GroundSince then- 'tis Centuries- and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity-
(Dickinson: 1863)
The first line of the stanza below shows the speaker has a busy life so she has
no time to stop for death. This implies that people are too busy living their life and
not noticing the death approaching. The death, however, stop for her like a
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gentleman that kindly take a lady into the carriage. Even we never invited death,
death will kindly stop and take us within. There are only the lady, the gentlemen and
the immortality that being in the carriage. People and death are related because there
is mortality. Every people are mortal, we cannot live forever, that is why death
comes and takes us in the carriage.
Because I could not stop for DeathHe kindly stopped for meThe Carriage held but just OurselvesAnd Immortality.
The second stanza below ironically explains that our life time is prepared to
welcome the death. The gentleman drives slowly because he does not want to be
hurry. The lady has devoted all her lifetime, her labor and her free time, to be in the
journey with the gentleman and to show her respect to him. Death approaches people
in the slow and steady way, it does not come in hurry because the time is already set
for everyone.
We slowly drove- He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility-
Some words in the third stanza below are symbol; school;fields of gazing
grain; and setting sun. Those words portray the life cycle. School symbolizes
childhood since school is identical with children. Fields of gazing grain refers to
productive adulthood, just like the soil on field provides minerals and nutrition to
grow the grain. Setting sun refers to the last time of life, as the bright sun goes down
and the dark of the night starts embracing the world. Dickinson repeats word
‘passed’ to show that the gentleman had known her since long time ago. The
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gentleman, the death, is already with us since the very first day of our life, from our
childhood to the last time of our life. Death has been watching for us since we were
created.
We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess- in the RingWe passed the Fields of Gazing GrainWe passed the Setting Sun-
Dickinson shows how it feels when death is coming in the fourth stanza
below. Death has passed us; she and all her lifetime. The dews make her trembling
and cold. She only wears gossamer, a thin gown that cannot bare the cold from the
dew. As we know, dead body is cold for there is no more blood pressure that brings
heat over the body. In other word, when the death is approaching, it feels like she
only wear a thin gown that let the cold of death freeze her body.
Or rather- He passed usThe Dews drew quivering and chillFor only Gossamer, my GownMy Tippet- only Tulle-
In the next stanza below, Dickinson describes a tomb by using capital on
word GROUND to emphasize the idea of tomb. A house which is placed under the
ground with no visible roof and is decorated by cornice on the surface, is portraying
a tomb. After the death coming, the dead body will be buried in the tomb, but it is not
the end yet. As written on the Bible, all the dead people will wait the judgment day
for receiving the eternal life in heaven or eternal flame in hell. It can be said that
according to her, tomb is like a waiting room for dead people to be judged.
We paused before a House that seemed
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The Roof was scarcely visibleThe Cornice- in the Ground-
As written on the last stanza below, Since then- 'tis Centuries- and yet/Feels
shorter than the Day, we can see that time is no longer being a concern when we are
dead. Even the century feels like shorter than a DAY when we are dead. Time is no
more being a limitation. Then Dickinson finally realize where the horse are heading,
into eternity. This implies that even our body is already dead but our soul are still
alive forever. She admit the existence of life after death.
Since then- 'tis Centuries- and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity-
The ride with the gentleman may pass many roads and may take the lady to
many places. One thing for sure, the journey will end in eternity. We can plan our
life very carefully but death is our destiny. We can get through or experience many
things in life but all of us will end in death.
4.7.
The Idea of Death is Transition in Poem J949 – Under the Light, yet
under
Humans live in two dimensions; physical and spiritual. The spirit live in our
body because our body is considered as a temporary home for the spirit. When our
body die, the spirit will still live in spiritual dimension, because spirit is believed as
immortal and unlimited. This idea can be found in every religion, in this case the
writer takes Christian as the example for Emily Dickinson was lived in puritan era. In
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Christian, they believe in afterlife. The dead people’s spirit will live eternally. In
poem J949, Dickinson brings this idea by picturing the transition process.
CMXLIX
Under the Light, yet under,
Under the Grass and the Dirt,
Under the Beetle's Cellar
Under the Clover's Root,
Further than Arm could stretch
Were it Giant long,
Further than Sunshine could
Were the Day Year long,
Over the Light, yet over,
Over the Arc of the Bird—
Over the Comet's chimney—
Over the Cubit's Head,
Further than Guess can gallop
Further than Riddle ride—
Oh for a Disc to the Distance
Between Ourselves and the Dead!
(Dickinson: 1864)
From this poem, we can say Dickinson assumes death as a transition. The
soul or spirit of the dead will be separated from the body. Life is transited to another
place above everything in this world; to heaven, to the Kingdom of God, and no one
can avoid it. In an ABAB stanza scheme, Dickinson reiterates the distance between
the dead and the living. She uses repetition of under and over to emphasize the
distance.
By discussing the first stanza below, we can see how Dickinson uses
repetition of under to portray the position of something. Grass and Dirt is found on
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the ground. Beetle’s Cellar is the place for beetle, kind of insects, to store their food
and it is usually built under the ground.Clover’s Root is also placed on the ground.
When we pay attention on Grass and Dirt; Beetle’s Cellar; and Clover’s Root, we
can see that those places are also the repetition of meaning. Dickinson wants to
describe a place under the ground. As we all know, dead body are usually buried
under the ground, some may be cremated, but in this case she uses ground to portray
how far the dead bodies will be placed.
Under the Light, yet under,
Under the Grass and the Dirt,
Under the Beetle's Cellar
Under the Clover's Root,
The second stanza below is emphasizing the distance. Repetition of further
indicates that the distance is beyond our expectations. Even our Arm can be stretched
as big as the giant’s arm, we are still not able to reach the dead. Even the sunshine’s
ability to hold the day is not long enough to find the dead.
Further than Arm could stretch
Were it Giant long,
Further than Sunshine could
Were the Day Year long,
In the third stanza below, Dickinson twists the plot by changing ‘under’ with
‘over’, it is also used to emphasize how far the distance is. It describes even the
bodies of the dead are buried, the souls of the dead will go up above. The souls are
too far to reach, it’s over the highest height the bird can fly, it is on the furthest part
of the comet. Cubit’s head refers to a verse in Bible which said ‘Which of you by
taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?’ (KJV Matthew 6:27). Even we
can add any cubits to our stature we still can’t reach them.
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Over the Light, yet over,
Over the Arc of the Bird—
Over the Comet's chimney—
Over the Cubit's Head,
The souls of the dead are so far away from us, no Guess or Riddle can find
them. The distance of life and death is like two things on the different side of the rim
that will never reach each other. When people die, they like across to another side of
the rim so they can not meet the living anymore. There is no turning back in death.
The last line on this stanza below is the keyword that shows the main idea of the
poem. Dickinson is describing the distance of the living and the dead, because death
is transiting the dead people to far away beyond everyone’s expectations.
Further than Guess can gallop
Further than Riddle ride—
Oh for a Disc to the Distance
Between Ourselves and the Dead!
Dickinson is describing the distance between the living and the dead, because
death is transiting the dead people to far away place that is beyond everyone’s
expectations.
4.8.
The Idea of Death is Transition in Poem J539 – I heard, as if I had no
Ear
The senses are the proof of life’s existence. The body is dead when it lost all
the senses toward everything. In poem J539, Dickinson is also discussing death as
the transition process. She pictures the moment of entering the afterlife by describing
how the dead get the senses back.
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MXXXIX
I heard, as if I had no Ear
Until a Vital Word
Came all the way from Life to me
And then I knew I heard.
I saw, as if my Eye were on
Another, till a Thing
And now I know 'twas Light, because
It fitted them, came In.
I dwelt, as if Myself were out,
My Body but within
Until a Might detected me
And set my kernel in.
And Spirit turned unto the Dust
"Old Friend, thou knowest me,"
And Time went out to tell the News
And met Eternity
(Dickinson: 1865)
In this poem Dickinson shows the moment of her soul separate from her
body. Dickinson use to explain the transition process and this helps the reader
understand the subject’s true feeling. She also wants to point out that afterlife is also
controlled by God. The afterlife that the speaker got consider death as the reward.
I heard, as if I had no Ear
Until a Vital Word
Came all the way from Life to me
And then I knew I heard.
In the first stanza above, the speaker is losing her hearing ability when her
body die. She can not feel her ears but still can hear the sound. By the time she
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listens a Vital Word that tell about the Life after death. She finally realizes she is still
alive by hearing the voice.
I saw, as if my Eye were on
Another, till a Thing
And now I know 'twas Light, because
It fitted them, came In.
The speaker is also describing the lost of her sight when her body is already
dead in the next stanza above. She can’t see anything but still can feel a Light. She
portrays her dead body by mentioning her ears and eyes that can’t work properly, but
she is still able to feel the surrounding.
Life and Light picture the life after death that already waits for her to come.
When she is start hearing and seeing again, it becomes the signal of her soul’s
transition from her dead body. It is like a rebirth into the new life after her death.
I dwelt, as if Myself were out,
My Body but within
Until a Might detected me
And set my kernel in.
In the stanza above, the speaker pictures the transition from death to the new
life. She portrays the moment when her body turns into dust and her soul goes out
from her dead body to enter the new beginning of life. Her soul enters a kernel, until
the Might detected her coming. Might symbolizes God, it indicates God as the only
one who control all this transition. God is the only one who can set human soul to
enter a new life.
And Spirit turned unto the Dust
"Old Friend, thou knowest me,"
And Time went out to tell the News
And met Eternity
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The last stanza above portrays the moment when the Spirit say goodbye to the
dead body that will turn into Dust. The spirit was friend with the body until the death
come and kills the body. The dead body had known the spirit so well. By the time,
the spirit hears the good News and then leave the dead body to meet Eternity.
In this poem, Dickinson describes death in positive image. Death is not really
the end of everything; moreover it is a new beginning to eternal life. It may feel
terrible to our body, but our soul will get a chance to live forever.
4.9.
The Idea of Death is Natural Thing in Poem J1147 – After a hundred
years
People die every day. Everyone will die eventually, it is only about time. This
phenomenon makes all people equal. In this poem, Dickinson shows that death is not
as dramatic as people usually think.
MCXLVII
After a hundred years
Nobody knows the Place
Agony that enacted there
Motionless as Peace
Weeds triumphant ranged
Strangers strolled and spelled
At the lone Orthography
Of the Elder Dead
Winds of Summer Fields
Recollect the way -Instinct picking up the Key
Dropped by memory --
(Dickinson: 1869)
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In this poem, Dickinson considered death as the natural thing that do not need
to be dramatized.
After a long time, no one will know the place. As written in the first stanza
below, the place refers to the tomb as agony had been there before. Time after time,
the agony will be replaced by peace. Tomb is where all the agony lied at the time the
dead were buried, all the sadness, tear and grieves were buried together with the dead
body.
After a hundred years
Nobody knows the Place
Agony that enacted there
Motionless as Peace
We usually find ‘Rest In Peace’ in a tomb. Peace, in the last line on stanza
above, emphasizes that the place refers to a tomb. As the time goes by, all the agony
will be away and all the mourners will find the soul of the dead is already rest in
peace.
Weeds triumphant ranged
Strangers strolled and spelled
At the lone Orthography
Of the Elder Dead
Dickinson describes an overgrown, disused graveyard by stating weeds
triumphant ranged in the first line of the stanza above. The ‘elder dead’ is now being
forgotten. Everyone will die; everyone will be forgotten as all the people that know
the dead will also die. No one will remember the agony that were buried there. As
the time goes by, it is only stranger that will visit the tomb. All things that can be
remembered about the dead is only what was written on their tomb; name, birth and
dead time.
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Winds of Summer Fields
Recollect the way -Instinct picking up the Key
Dropped by memory --
In the last stanza above, Dickinson shows her positive attitude towards death.
At least, the summer winds visit the grave. Summer winds will be the only one who
remember the way there by instinct, when memory has lost the Key.
Dickinson points out the human’s nature in death. Everyone will die; the one
that we cry on today could be us at any time. Other people will also cry on our dead
body. Everyone will cry on the dead agony and by the time no one will remember it
anymore. Death is only the end of life, it’s not something that we should be afraid
for, because every thing will be better in time. The living will move on and die in the
right time. What matter the most is how we live our life as long as we have the
chance.
4.10. The Idea of Death is Gift in Poem J1272 – So proud she was to die
Life is a gift, and death is a curse. It is a stereotype that has been built in our
society. In poem J1272, Dickinson is against that though. She wants to show that
sometimes, death can cause a jealousy when the dead people seems so ready to die.
Sometimes, death can be a gift that you really want to get.
MCCLXXII
So proud she was to die
It made us all ashamed
That what we cherished, so unknown
To her desire seemed So satisfied to go
Where none of us should be
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Immediately - that Anguish stooped
Almost to Jealousy (Dickinson: 1873)
This poem is about a dying woman who seems so proud and satisfied to die.
Her pride makes the mourners ashamed and almost jealous. Death is taken as a
reward in this poem, since the mourners envy the way she die.
So proud she was to die
It made us all ashamed
That what we cherished, so unknown
To her desire seemed -
In the first line of the stanza above, Dickinson points out the feeling that the
dying woman has shown to the mourners, they can see how proud she is to die. To
die is like an achievement that needs to be proud of. She describes death with
positive tone. It made all the mourners ashamed, it refers to the pride on her dead
face. They will cherish if she could live longer, but actually to die is assumed as the
dead woman’s desire.
So satisfied to go
Where none of us should be
Immediately - that Anguish stooped
Almost to Jealousy -
The dead woman also shows the satisfaction of dying as written in the second
stanza above. The mourner think she should not be dead, but the truth is everyone
will die because human is mortal. When the mourner recognize the satisfaction on
her face, suddenly the anguish stoop. They are almost jealous to the dead woman.
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She is so ready to die, while all of the mourners are so eager to go on living. Instead
of feeling grief at her death, the mourners almost envy her.
4.11. The Idea of Death is Natural Thing in Poem J1256 – Not any higher
stands the Grave
Everyone is considered to be equal, but in fact the social status in society is
the proof that we are not actually equal to each other. In death, thing is different.
Everyone is truly equal because death is the nature of human which should happen to
anyone with no exception.
MCCLVI
Not any higher stands the Grave
For Heroes than for Men Not any nearer for the
Child Than numb Three score and Ten This latest Leisure equal lulls
The Beggar and his Queen
Propitiate this Democrat
A Summer's Afternoon -
(Dickinson: 1873)
Dickinson views death in various ways; she gives new angles to death. She
represents death as the one who asserts supreme form of justice. It treats everyone in
equal way. Everyone is equal in the eye of death. Death doesn’t know the difference
of social status, age and walk of life. Everyone, with no exception, will meet the
death in their own time. She conveys this idea by describing the grave. She
considered death as the leveler.
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Not any higher stands the Grave
For Heroes than for Men Not any nearer for the
Child Than numb Three score and Ten -
The first stanza above portrays the equality in the eyes of death. The grave for
the hero and usual man will stand on the same height. There is no difference on the
grave, both of them will be buried under the same ground. The grave for the child
would not be nearer than the grave for the seventieth people. Grave symbolizes
death, it will be the same for everyone. Experiences and ages will not change how
death treat people. High position in social status will not avoid death to come. The
young age will not keep someone from death. Death is equal for everyone; it will
come in anytime, anyplace and to anyone.
This latest Leisure equal lulls
The Beggar and his Queen
Propitiate this Democrat
A Summer's Afternoon -
The latest leisure on the first line of the stanza above, refers to the grave. The
grave is considered as a lull place, there are peace, satisfaction and safety that wait
for them. This last leisure offers relaxation and satisfaction. the beggar and the queen
will be both get that lulls. To know this, they may fear the death, but both of them try
to appease with this democrat since they know what is waiting for them in the grave.
They can see the lulls as the gracious mien of the summer that offers joy, warmness
and sincerity when they are in the grave.
In this poem, Dickinson describes death as something that make all people
equal. Death is portrayed as a natural process that belongs to everyone. Human has
right to rest in peace; last leisure that will bring lulls.
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4.12. The Idea of Death is Transition in Poem J1399 – Perhaps they do not go
so far
As the writer said before, human live in two dimensions. When someone is
dead, their body may gone forever but no one knows what will happen to the spirit.
In poem J1399, Dickinson expresses her thought about the possibility that can
happen to the spirit.
MCCCXCIX
Perhaps they do not go so far
As we who stay, suppose Perhaps come closer, for the flight
Of their corporeal clothes It may be, know so certainly
How short we have to fear
That comprehension fluctuates
And There - commences - Here -
(Dickinson: 1877)
Dickinson sent the first stanza of this poem in a letter (L517) to Thomas
Higginson on his wife’s death in September 1877. The letter begins, ‘Dear Friend. If
I could help you?’ Then comes the poem. Finally she ends the letter by saying, ‘Did
she know she was leaving you? The Wilderness is new – to you. Master, let me lead
you.’ She also sent the whole poem in a letter (L518) to the sisters of her uncle,
William Dickinson, to console them for the death of their father.
People used to use ‘gone’ to represent dead. When someone dies people used
to say “He’s gone” Instead of “He’s dead”. Saying dead seems like the person just
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dead, final state, no passing on, no afterlife, just dead. The ‘gone’ conveys the idea
that the person will go somewhere else, to the life after death. In this poem, Emily is
against this idea. She said that the dead people were actually just transform into spirit
and never go anywhere. It is not really a big deal since death is only the transition
from dust into spirit.
Perhaps they do not go so far
As we who stay, suppose Perhaps come closer, for the flight
Of their corporeal clothes -
In the first stanza above, Dickinson offers a possibility by using perhaps. She
is not certainly sure about it but she wants to show that it is possible. They, represents
dead people, do not go so far. The living may feel it’s too far from the dead but it is
actually because they don’t go anywhere either. The living was left by the dead, but
the truth is dead people cannot go anywhere. They will only lay in their grave, but
they have been closer to the lapse, transformation process that was managed by God.
Dickinson believed the dead people only leave their corporal clothes which is
referring to the dead body. Dead people only turn into spirit, they don’t go anywhere
further.
It is known very well that death always come in sudden, no one is prepared
enough to face the death. Most of the people scare of death, even the thought of
someone’s dead is scary enough to talk about. In the second stanza below, Dickinson
wonders if in the time zone of the dead people, the time before we join them may be
just so short. It means that time for dead people is not important anymore, so we do
not need to be scare to wait our death to come.
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It may be, know so certainly
How short we have to fear
That comprehension fluctuates
And There - commences - Here -
In this poem Dickinson portray death as the transition that was managed by
God. Dead people never go anywhere, they just turn into spirit. The transition time is
randomly set by God to any one, no one can expect but one thing for sure everyone
will be turned into spirit.
4.13. The Idea of Death is Gift in Poem J976 – Death is a Dialogue between
Physically, human are alive if their body work properly and still show the
sign of living like breathing, eating and responsive. Spiritually, the soul will never
die. People believe that spirit only stay at the body for a while. When the body die,
the spirit will still have chance to live in another life. Death is the reward for giving
another chance to live in different life.
XCLXXVI
Death is a Dialogue between
The Spirit and the Dust.
"Dissolve" says Death,
The Spirit "Sir
I have another Trust" Death doubts it Argues from the Ground The Spirit turns away
Just laying off for evidence
An Overcoat of Clay.
(Dickinson: 1882)
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Poem J976 points out the idea of people live in two dimensions by
personifying the dead body and the spirit as two friends that argue each other. The
dead body believes that they are already done, but the spirit declines it because the
spirit believe that there is a life after death.
Death is a Dialogue between
The Spirit and the Dust.
"Dissolve" says Death,
The Spirit "Sir
I have another Trust" -
The first stanza above shows the argument between The spirit and the Dust,
they have different faith after the death come. The Dust which represents the dead
body, tells that everything has gone. The dust says Dissolve! as the body has stop
working and no longer has sign of living. In other hand, the spirit says that it has
another trust! as a defends. The spirit believes that there is another stage of life that
can be entered after the death.
The second stanza below emphasizes the idea by portraying how death argues
from the ground. As we know, dead people are buried in the ground, this line wants
to show that the dead body has already buried for be