Emily Dickinson was known for her unconventional use of punctuation, specifically dashes. While it’s not known for certain why she used dashes so frequently, it’s believed that they were meant to indicate pauses or shifts in thought. Dickinson’s use of dashes has been praised by some as being ahead of her time, and her poems have been studied for their innovative use of language.
No one knows for sure who put the dashes in, but it is most likely that Dickinson herself did it.
Did Emily Dickinson use the em dash?
Martha Nell Smith, a professor of English at the University of Maryland, is the author of five books on the poet Emily Dickinson. In her view, Dickinson used the dash to “highlight the ambiguity of the written word.” “The dash is an invitation to the reader to make meaning,” she said.
The dashes in Emily Dickinson’s poetry can be seen as intentional pauses that help to break up the flow of lines and force the reader to take stock of what they are reading. In particular, the dashes in lines 4, 11, and 12 act as significant pauses that help to create a sense of tension and suspense in the poem. By playing with the reader’s expectations in this way, Dickinson creates a unique and powerful reading experience.
Why does Emily Dickinson use dashes and capitalization
The capitalized words, dashes, and specific words and phrases all work together to draw the reader’s attention and compel them to slow down and contemplate the lines. By forcing the reader to slow down, the dashes and capitalized words highlight the important key words and phrases of the poem, which helps the reader to better understand the meaning.
Dickinson uses dashes to draw attention to words or phrases that she believes are important. By using dashes, she is able to create a sense of emphasis that can help her readers better understand her message.
Why does Dickinson use so many dashes?
Dashes are often used in poetry to create a sense of silence or pause, which can be useful in forcing the reader to take a break and reflect on the poem. This can be especially effective when combined with other punctuation marks, such as commas, to create a more musical effect.
Dickinson’s use of dashes and capitalization is unique among poets of her time. She often used dashes to create pauses or emphasize certain words, and her capitalization gave extra weight to interior words. This helped her create a distinctive style that was both fresh and memorable.
What do dashes represent in poems?
The two main types of dashes are the em dash and the en dash. Em dashes are used to create an emphasis on parts of the sentence, and can take on the role of either commas or parentheses. When she uses the dashes as commas, like in the stanza from above, it shifts the focus on the words that follow the dash. So the phrase “that oppresses” is meant to resonate with the reader.
Dickinson uses dashes to great effect in this poem to convey the sudden, darting way flies can move around a room, especially around light. The dashes add an element of uncertainty and conveys the speaker’s stumbling as they try to keep up with the fly.
What is a dash in poetry called
An em dash is a punctuation mark that can replace commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons. It is seen as more interruptive or striking than other punctuation, so it is often used to draw a reader’s attention to a particular bit of information.
Emily Dickinson’s writing style is most certainly unique. She used extensive dashes, dots, and unconventional capitalization, in addition to vivid imagery and idiosyncratic vocabulary. Instead of using pentameter, she was more inclined to use trimester, tetrameter, and even dimeter at times.
The Dash can be a great way to break up a sentence and add emphasis. Just be sure to use it judiciously, as too many dashes can be jarring for the reader.
When two words are used together to form a compound adjective, they are usually separated by a hyphen. For example, “well-known” or “state-of-the-art.” However, you can also use an en dash or em dash to create this effect.
An en dash (–) is slightly longer than a hyphen and is typically used when you want to create a more formal look. An em dash (—) is even longer and creates a more dramatic effect.
Here are some examples:
She’s a world-renowned artist.
She’s a world–renowned artist.
She’s a world—renowned artist.
I’m studying at a state-of-the-art university.
I’m studying at a state–of-the-art university.
I’m studying at a state—of-the-art university.
As you can see, the en dash and em dash can both be used to set off an augmenting or explanatory word or phrase. However, you can also use other punctuation marks, such as brackets, commas, and colons, to create a similar effect.
Why does Dickinson leave the poem unfinished using a dash to suggest a pause or break in the speakers thoughts
Dickinson’s use of dashes is purposeful and for effect. Often, Dickinson places a dash to indicate a long pause or to leave a thought incomplete. Further, Dickinson uses dashes to join ideas together, but the dash creates space between the ideas at the same time. This allows the reader to pause and reflect on the implications of what is being said.
Dickinson’s poems are often ambiguous, and her use of literary devices only serves to increase this uncertainty. Her use of imagery allows her to create vivid mental images for her readers, which can often be interpreted in multiple ways. Additionally, her frequent use of enjambment ensures that readers must carefully read each line in order to fully understand its meaning. And finally, her use of dashes often creates abrupt pauses in her poems, forcing readers to re-evaluate what they have just read. Combined, these devices create an overall feeling of ambiguity in Dickinson’s poetry that can be both confusing and intriguing.
What do Emily Dickinson’s poems have in common?
Emily Dickinson was an American poet who was known for her use of slant-rhyme, conceits, and unconventional punctuation. She was also known for being a recluse and only sharing her poetry with a few close friends. Today, her poetry is admired for its originality and beauty.
In “The Breath of Emily Dickinson’s Dashes,” the Emily Dickinson Journal argues that two of Walter Benjamin’s terms, “gesture” and mimesis, can be used to explain the most idiosyncratic and erratic diacriticals in the Western literary canon. The article goes on to say that, for Dickinson, the dash was a way to create interruption and pause, and that her use of the dash was a form of mimesis, or imitation of reality.
What are 5 interesting facts about Emily Dickinson
1. Emily Dickinson was a prolific poet who wrote over 1,800 poems in her lifetime.
2. Dickinson was a recluse who rarely left her home and preferred to communicate through her writing.
3. Experts believe that Dickinson may have suffered from anxiety and depression.
4. Much of Dickinson’s personal life remains a mystery, including the identity of her “lover” whom she wrote about extensively in her poetry.
5. Dickinson lived in the same house in Amherst, Massachusetts for most of her life.
6. Dickinson was an avid gardener and kept a detailed record of the plants and flowers in her garden.
7. Dickinson did not belong to any organized religion, but she was interested in spiritualism and the afterlife.
8. Dickinson’s poetry was often unconventional, employing unconventional grammar and punctuation.
9. Dickinson’s poetry was published posthumously and gained widespread acclaim only after her death.
10. Dickinson is considered one of the most important American poets of the 19th century.
An essay is a Literary composition typically in prose consisting of an argument or multiple arguments supporting a central thesis. The structure of an essay typically includes an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. Essays are traditionally written in ink on paper, although they can also be written in digital format.
Warp Up
Emily Dickinson is believed to have used dashes in her writing as a way to create pauses or breaks in her thoughts. It is thought that she may have also used them to create emphasis or to add a poetic effect to her words.
There is no one definitive answer to this question. Some scholars believe that Emily Dickinson herself inserted the dashes into her poems, while others believe that they were added by editors after her death. What is certain is that the dashes add to the sense of fragmentation and mystery in Dickinson’s poetry.
