Context
Emily Dickinson is widely considered one of the greatest American poets of all time. She is known for her unique style and highly evocative poetry, which often touches on themes of loss, hope and longing. Although her poetry is varied in content, it often contains recurrent themes of love and mortality. To this day, her work continues to be widely read and studied, with many of her poems being adapted into modern music, television and film. In this article, we will examine some of the main themes in Emily Dickinson’s poetry, exploring the deeper meaning and significance of her words.
Love
One of the most prominent themes in Dickinson’s writing is that of love. In her poems, love is portrayed as both an elixir and a poison, with Dickinson suggesting that it can bring with it both joy and pain. In her poem “Wild Nights – Wild Nights!”, Dickinson muses on an unrequited love and how it is both bittersweet and devastating: “I envy Seas/Whereon He rides/And yet it sanely sweet/To sprinkle him in Silver strife/Wild – with anguished Feet.” Here, Dickinson is suggesting that love can be both alluring and yet damaging, leaving one feeling both wild and yet deeply pained.
Apart from the relationships between two people, Dickinson’s poems also look at love from a broader perspective, exploring the notion of love as a universal force. In her poem “Hope is the Thing with Feathers,” Dickinson describes “Hope” as a bird which never ceases to sing and inspire: “Hope/Is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul/And sings the tune without the words/And never stops at all.” In these lines, Dickinson appears to be suggesting that true love is an everchanging, yet eternal source of light, which binds us all together.
Loss
Another highly recurring theme found in Dickinson’s poetry is that of loss. Dickinson deals with this theme in a number of different ways; often in a very sentimental and sorrowful manner. In her poem “Because I could not stop for Death,” she muses on the inevitability of death and how it is only natural to fear it: “Because I could not stop for Death/He kindly stopped for me/The carriage held but just ourselves/And Immortality.” Through these lines, Dickinson appears to be suggesting that death is a universal and inescapable truth, one which we all must inevitably accept in our own time.
Apart from death, Dickinson’s poems also explore the notion of “Absence” as both a physical and emotional loss. In her poem “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,” she starts by describing the “sense of a loss” which overcomes her: “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain/And Mourners to and fro/Kept treading – treading – till it seemed/That Sense was breaking through.” Here, Dickinson appears to be describing a type of existential dread or loneliness, one that can leave one feeling empty and disconnected from those around them.
Hope and Longing
Closely related to the theme of loss are those of hope and longing, which appear prominently in Dickinson’s poetry throughout her career. In her poem “If I can stop one Heart from Breaking,” Dickinson encourages us to stay hopeful and never give up despite our hardships and struggles: “If I can stop one Heart from breaking/I shall not live in vain/If I can ease one Life the Aching/Or cool one Pain.” Dickinson suggests that even if we cannot save the world, our acts of kindness and compassion towards others can help to create small, yet meaningful moments of hope and joy.
Although Dickinson’s poem has a general message of hope and optimism, many of them also explore darker and more complicated feelings of longing. In her poem “This is my Letter to the World,” Dickinson focuses on her inner desire to be heard and understood, despite being alone “This is my letter to the World/That never wrote to Me/The simple News that Nature told/With tender Majesty.” Here, Dickinson appears to be suggesting that although we may feel lost, excluded or misunderstood at times, our existence and our stories are still important to the world around us.
Nature and Spirituality
Revisiting the idea of hope and longing, Dickinson often uses nature and spirituality as subtle signifiers of optimism, as well as a way to ponder more complex questions. Throughout her poems, Dickinson often makes use of religious imagery and metaphors, which she uses to explore themes of faith, redemption and divine protection. In her poem “My Life Closed Twice Before its Close,” she muses on the idea of salvation and the journey to “Perfection’s Goal”: “These be thy Wonders, Unforeign Soul./Receive and weigh them, mastering Fear./To die – twice – ere the Goal/Of Perfection’s Splendour/Be Rested Here!” Here, Dickinson appears to be suggesting that one can find solace in faith and “renew” themselves, despite their struggles or sorrows.
In other poems, Dickinson uses the natural world to look at beauty, power and vulnerability. In her poem “There’s a Certain Slant of Light,” she muses on how fleeting and yet profound nature can be: “There’s a certain Slant of light/Winter Afternoons/That oppresses, like the Heft/Of Cathedral Tunes.” Here, Dickinson is suggesting that although the light and darkness will come and go, the beauty of nature can touch one’s soul and provide a sense of awe and wonder.
The Journey Towards the Unknown
As we can see, many of Emily Dickinson’s poems touch on themes of hope, longing and mortality, often exploring the concept of life as an endless journey towards the unknown. In her poem “Parting is all We Know of Heaven,” Dickinson muses on the idea of a future filled with uncertainty, but also potential: “Parting is all we know of Heaven,/And all we need of Hell.” Here, Dickinson is suggesting that although we may not be able to predict the future, life can still be filled with possibilities, despite our struggles and sorrows.
Apart from this exploration of mortality, Dickinson also implies that life is filled with uncertainty, but also hope and joy. In her poem “The Chariot,” Dickinson speaks of the journey of life as a chariot which will eventually lead one to the final destination: “Ah! Then, Despaire-Relentless Chariot-/Check thy Battering Course,/Let me alight, Before th’ Approach/Of that Phanton of Remorse.” Here, Dickinson appears to be suggesting that as we go through life, we must accept the uncertainty and hardships but also remain hopeful and resilient, as we eventually reach our destination.
Societal and Gender Inequality
Although many of Emily Dickinson’s poems contain romantic themes and religious references, in some of her poetry, she also appears to be commenting on themes of social and gender inequality. In her poem “My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun,” Dickinson starts by describing a woman living out of a “Barred and Locked-up Place,” suggesting that she is a prisoner within her own home and society. Dickinson then goes on to describe the disparity between men and women, and how the former are privileged while the latter must remain silent and restrained: “And so Man’s Fiery Foot/Had caught me at my prayers-/My Prose – would find thy low Palate/Learnt thy Costermonger’s A’s.” Here, Dickinson appears to be suggesting that although times change, it is still difficult for women to gain the same agency and autonomy as men.
In other poems, Dickinson also speaks of inequality in terms of skin color, suggesting that many people of color suffer from injustice, bias and racism. For example, in her poem “She rose to his Requirement, dropt,” she starts by describing a young flower that has been denied freedom and beauty simply because of its skin color: “She rose to his Requirement, dropt/The playthings of her life/To take the honorable Work/Of Woman, and of Wife.” Dickinson then goes on to suggest that despite the various forms of injustice and inequality, we should remain strong and resilient in the face of suffering, never forgetting the inherent value of friendship and love: “Our share/Of Night to bear/Our nature and our Fate.”
Conclusion
Emily Dickinson is a highly-regarded American poet whose words continue to be studied and discussed to this day. Although her poetry covers a wide variety of topics, there are some recurring themes that can be seen throughout her work. These include love, loss, hope, longing, nature and spirituality, and societal and gender inequality. By exploring these themes, Dickinson appears to be suggesting that life is an endless journey of self-discovery and resilience, one that is filled with moments of joy and sorrow. Although Dickinson is no longer with us, her poetic insights and observations will remain an integral part of our cultural American identity for many years to come.
