Emily Dickinson

2/19/2013

One of the dominant themes of the Romantic movement is a close relationship with nature. Reflect on the three poems by Emily Dickinson that we read in class this week. In a well-developed paragraph using evidence from at least two of the poems, describe how Dickinson demonstrates that connection with nature.

After you have finished, please take a few moments to read others' responses, and give someone some meaningful feedback on their post.

38 Comments

Megan Wall

2/20/2013 03:56:16 am

Dickinson, like most poets of the Romantic-movement, draws from nature for the subject of her poems and uses different elements of the outside world to reflect her internal experience. However, part of the nature that Dickinson refers to is not only natural landscapes or animals, but human nature as well. Poem number 280 uses examples both from human nature and the landscape to draw the image of the weight religious legalism lays on her shoulders. The first reference to nature in the outside world is in lines one and two, “There's a certain Slant of light,/Winter Afternoons,” here Dickinson paints the image we can all imagine; a ray of light streaming through curtains, perhaps, and creating an angle during a cold and dreary winter afternoon. The poem does not sketch any other natural images for us until the last stanza, “When it comes, the Landscape listens--/Shadows--hold their breath--/When it goes, 'tis like the Distance/On the look of Death.” However, the last two lines of stanza one and stanzas two and three include relatable bits because she uses the nature of humans to fill in her poem. For example, lines three through six, “That oppresses, like the Heft/Of Cathedral Tunes--/Heavenly Hurt, it gives us--/We can find no scar.” Human nature when put in a position of power, such as the church had in Dickinson’s time, typically causes people to become arrogant and use their power for oppression. This is what is being noted when she parallels oppression with the “Cathedral Tunes.” One poem of Dickinson’s that we read this week that less obviously combines nature and human nature is Poem 1096. Poem 1096 personifies a snake as a man from the first line of stanza one, “A narrow fellow in the grass.” Throughout this poem the snake is described as a man, who moves creepily and slyly and ultimately strikes fear into Dickinson. Though this poem is indeed describing a snake, one could interpret it as her way of describing the nature of humans to be afraid of others, consider the first two lines of stanza three, “Several of nature’s people/I know, and they know me,” when Dickinson writes, “nature’s people,” she is describing animals; almost as if to say that she knows a lot of people and they know her, but there is a particular person that is as sly as a snake and always causes her to feel, “a tighter breathing,/And zero at the bone.” Throughout Dickinson’s writings she not only identifies and writes of nature in the natural world, but she parallels this with human nature.

Kelti Lorence

2/20/2013 07:44:12 am

Your analysis of the snake was different than I had thought of, but definitely makes sense! I see how she would always have some distrust in people, or maybe one type of person. I like the deeper meaning!

Brady

2/20/2013 02:10:28 pm

I kind of had the same interpretation of the snake as more than her just describing a snake. I like your connection to the feeling of power and it being used for oppression. This was a huge issue during her time period and could definitely be an issue she discusses.

Hannah H

2/20/2013 02:42:29 pm

Wow, Megan, way to go indepth and express new ideas. I too felt the snake to be a central metaphor for somthing else but did not make the connection of men and the fear and oppression; So good job.

Kelti Lorence

2/20/2013 07:39:04 am

Emily uses nature references quite often throughout her poems. This, being typical of all Romantic writers, could also be an equivalent of her lack of human association. In the poem "258", she reveals her view of society through "winter afternoons/ That oppress[es], like the Heft/ Of Cathedral Tunes-" (line 2-4), possibly reflecting on the current religion oppressing her faith, as she surveys the cold day outside. "986" is solely based upon her travels in nature and the things she comes to see. As she describes the "narrow fellow in the grass", she portrays nature as a friend: "Several of Nature's People/ I know and they know me/ I feel for them a transport/ Of Cordiality" (line17-20). Because she preferred solitude, Dickinson seems to understand the immediate world around her more than the urban setting, and is more comfortable with it. For this reason, her poems tend to parallel nature, whether literal or that of people, as similes, reference points, or a reflection of her internal feelings.

Hannah Cox link

2/20/2013 09:34:41 am

I'm glad that you brought Dickinson's solitude into the picture. I didn't think of that initially. Her isolation from society would have most likely resulted in her better identification with nature or the creation of something like her own society with nature, as you pointed out. Dickinson's perspective on nature would have been affected by her position because she was looking from the outside in, rather than from the inside out, the latter being what most people at the time would have been engaged in, if at all.

Sam Farmer

2/20/2013 12:30:08 pm

I like the example you used from poem "258" and how you interpreted it. The "Cathedral Tunes" are great way of subtly hinting toward religion.

Mackenzie

2/21/2013 03:28:48 am

Although I didn't realize it before, I definitely agree with the fact that she may tie nature in with her poems because of her "lack of human association". I think that besides the fact that she wrote Romantic poetry and therefore tied nature into her poems, the reasoning was deeper than just a love for a rural enviroment.

Hannah Cox link

2/20/2013 09:27:00 am

Emily Dickinson's connection to nature can be easily seen in her works. She often makes reference to nature at least once in her poems. For instance, in poem "320 (258)," Dickinson begins with the lines, "There's a certain Slant of light,/ Winter Afternoons-/ That oppresses, like the Heft/ Of Cathedral Tunes-..." In this way, she draws a comparison between something in nature and something made by people. She uses nature as a way to explain something else, and this is often accomplished through simile, metaphor, or symbolism. Through this, she connects the natural world with the "unnatural" world. Dickinson makes another notable reference to nature in the same poem. In the last stanza she communicates, "When it comes, the Landscape listens-/ Shadows- hold their breath-..." Here Dickinson personifies nature, thereby giving it more human qualities and making it more identifiable to people. She uses a similar technique in poem "1096 (986)." The snake which is the subject of the poem she calls a "narrow Fellow in the Grass," and asks,"You may have met him?...," as though referring to a person (lines 1,3). Later in the poem she relates, "Several of Nature's People/ I know and they know me...," (lines 17-18) further creating the impression of nature as a society in and of itself. Her connection with it is reflected in the lines following, where she says, "I feel for them a transport/ Of Cordiality" (lines 19-20). These two lines and the two lines before them show that she feels a kind of relationship with nature as she might with another human. Especially in the case of this poem, Dickinson's attentiveness to detail when describing detail shows in itself that she sees nature as having a connection to herself.

Celeste Yahr

2/20/2013 10:38:51 am

Hannah I really like how you said that she feels a relationship with nature. It shows that maybe it's where she gets her interaction instead of with humans since she didn't like public places. I agree with her having a connection with nature.Good job.

Celeste Yahr

2/20/2013 10:30:17 am

Emily Dickinson like many Romantic movement writers wrote with underling nature themes. in the poem 258 she uses the air and the landscape to represent internal conflict you can see it in line 11 through the end "An imperial affliction/Sent us of the Air – /When it comes, the Landscape listens – /Shadows – hold their breath – /When it goes, 'tis like the Distance/On the look of Death – " She is connecting the landscape's distance with the her life the conflicts she has and death at the end. in her poem 986 she talks about a snake. This whole poem uses nature throughout it to talk about fears and dislikes.

Mary Sine

2/20/2013 01:46:55 pm

I like your explanation of the last stanza in poem "258" the parallel between the poem and her life makes sense. I agree that she uses nature to show internal conflicts, and in the poem about the snake to describe the snake and her fear of it. Good job.

Tristan

3/18/2013 11:44:31 am

I like your observations of 258. In addition to what you said about the emotions in 986, emotion itself is a natural thing. So there you have more nature reference.

Sam Farmer

2/20/2013 12:25:34 pm

Similar to other poets during the Romantic Movement, Emily Dickinson demonstrates a connection with nature. During her lifetime, Emily shied away from public crowds, which could be a reason she commonly writes of nature. In the poem “968” Dickinson does not tell us her subject. The first line in the poem, "A narrow fellow in the grass," of course, describes a snake. The use of "fellow" for the snake demonstrates her connection with nature. The first few stanzas paint a vivid image of the fluent movement and semi-invisibility of the snake in grass. In her poems, she is observant of creatures and their actions.
In Dickinson's poem “258” she doesn't write in great detail, which allows the reader to use their imagination. Line one says, “There's a certain Slant of light.” She vaguely describes this light. Unlike her poem “968” that describes an animal, “258” is focused on other parts of nature: “light” “shadows” “air”etc..
Dickinson seems to use her connection with nature to describe her feelings using metaphors and other literary devices.

Emily

2/20/2013 02:28:56 pm

I liked how you described her observance of the snake moving through the grass. I agree that she notices movements a lot.

Mary Sine

2/20/2013 01:39:33 pm

As a Romantic poet, Emily Dickinson shows her connection to nature through her diction and imagery in her poems. In the poem "1096 (986)", she shows a connection to nature through the subject of the poem, a snake. In this poem she personifies the snake first with a voice indifferent and curious, calling the snake "Fellow," and describing what a snake's preferred habitat. But the last stanza of the poem shows how the speaker fears the snake, "But never met this Fellow/.../Without a tighter Breathing/ And Zero at the Bone." With this poem, Dickinson seems to be saying that even though she does fear the snake in the end, that doesn't mean that she wouldn't learn more about the snake or ignore it. The snake is something interesting, mysterious and is honored with a poem about it, even if it is feared. In the poem "320 (258)" Dickinson describes a "Slant of light,/ Winter Afternoons - " and then compares it to oppressive cathedral tunes. She uses something natural like light and then compares it to something man-made like organized religion that is represented by the cathedral. Both the natural and man-made things are oppressive to people in this poem. However, in the last stanza she uses nature in a different way, "When it comes, the Landscape listens - /Shadows - hold their breath - /When it goes, 'tis like the Distance/ On the look of Death - " In this line the nature is personified, relating it to the way that people might react in a controlled city when soldiers or enforcers walk by. This creates an image of an oppressed world, that when the oppressors, whether it is government, religion, or something else, cause a change in everyone there, something you might be able to feel.

Jacob Jones

2/20/2013 02:47:59 pm

In poem "258" i agree that Dickinson is comparing light to something man made like organized religion. In poem "986" i agree that the speaker fears the snake, and that she wouldn't want learn more about the snake, and that she would not want to ignore it.

Brady

2/20/2013 02:08:03 pm

Dickinson is a huge part of the Romanic era addressing the same issues and using the same themes as many other poets of the time. Her connection with nature is one way she conveys her emotions. The poem "1096 (986)" uses a snake to express her mind. This poem could be interpreted as just a snake slithering through the grass but I think it has another meaning. The snake is a symbol of temptation and this could represent her temptations creeping up on her. The poem says in Line 7-8 "And then it closes at your Feet/ And opens further on - ". This is representing this temptation that people feel that comes to them, then goes away, then comes back. Later it says "When stooping to secure it/ It wrinkled And was gone - " This is saying that once you give in to temptation you realize your mistake but you can't go back and change it. Her poem "320 (258)" also represents this connection to nature. She uses this image of "certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons -" (Line 1-2) to portray a confined feeling. She demonstrates her feeling of confinement using an image in nature. "That oppresses, like the Heft/ Of Cathedral Tunes -" (Line 3-4). This line shows this confinement she feels. She shows her feeling of the pressure of society using nature. She says "the Landscape listens- / Shadows - hold their breath - " (Line 13-14) using another image to represent her emotion toward this confinement.

Jonathon D.

2/21/2013 12:08:40 am

I did not even think about the snake being a symbol of temptation. I interpreted a completely different meaning. Also the second poem you referenced to was a good interpretation of it being confinement. Good job.

Megan W

2/21/2013 04:17:56 am

It did not cross my mind to interpret the snake as a symbol for temptation, but the way you supported the interpretation makes sense to me. I also think that the snake can represent temptation because in Christianity, something Dickinson was familiar with, the Devil came in the form of a snake and tempted Adam and Eve. Nice interpretation, Brady.

Emily

2/20/2013 02:26:17 pm

Emily Dickinson had a very close relationship with nature, which she shows through her poetry. For example, in poem 258, she mentions winter afternoons. She also says "the landscape listens," giving it personification as though she could speak to it. She also give shadows personification, saying that they "hold their breath." Another example is in poem 986. She is describing a snake the whole time, and the snake is definitely a part of nature, being an animal, and also one that is close to the ground. She knows what the movements of the grass are when a snake glides through it. She also says "several of Nature's people I know, and they know me," which maybe implies she hangs around animals a lot, which would make sense because she was a bit of a recluse.

Trevor

2/21/2013 02:46:13 am

I like how you connect Dickinson being antisocial to her views on nature. I think that is very important to recognize so you can understand Dickinson's poems.

Lacayah

3/7/2013 12:53:33 am

I like how you highlight Dickinsons cloose relationship to the natural world.

Jacob Jones

2/20/2013 02:35:36 pm

Emily Dickinson demonstrates a close relationship with nature in many of her poems, which was one of the dominant themes of the Romantic Movement. In Dickinson’s poem, “986” there are many references or connections to nature. Throughout the poem, Dickinson is talking about a snake, “narrow fellow in the grass,” “spotted shaft,” and “unbraiding in the sun.” I think that the poem is about someone taking a walk and describing what she is seeing. When she first sees the snake she is started, “His notice is sudden.” After that, she describes the nature around her and the snake. Another poem that Dickinson uses to demonstrate a connection with nature is in, “258.” In this poem, she uses nature by, “certain slant of light, / Winter Afternoons” to show that there is light, but their might not be much in her mind, because the poem also says, “imperial affliction” meaning that she could be having problems in her life. Then she says, “When it comes, the Landscape listens” meaning that her problems are so big that the land can hear her afflictions.

Kendall

2/20/2013 02:48:09 pm

Jacob, I really like your interpretation of poem "258". I had never really looked at it like that but I can definitely see how it works. The line "The land scape listens" really supports your idea that her problem is so great that the world can hear her afflictions. But what life problem do you think she is describing in the poem?

Hannah H.

2/20/2013 02:37:43 pm

One of the dominant themes of the Romantic movement is a close relationship with nature. describe how Dickinson demonstrates that connection with nature.

Dickinson, revealing themes from the Romantic movement, describes a close reationship with nature in her poems. In poem 986 Dickinson singles out a snake and its shady nature. "He likes a Boggy Acre-" (line 9) She adresses nature by saying, " Several of Naure's People / I know and they know me" (line 17-18) Dickenson also often personifies nature in her poems, giving them human characteristics, and creating a deeper connection to nature. In poem 258 Dickenson uses personification when she says, " When it comes the Landscape listens- / Shadows- hold their breath- " (line 13-14). She is a prime example of the american take on the Romantic movement, comparing everything with an aspect of nature.

Kendall

2/20/2013 02:39:21 pm

Like most Romantic poets, Dickinson wrote about her deep connection with nature. She did this by personifying many of natures inhabitants. For example when she refers to the snake in her poem "986" as "a narrow Fellow in the Grass" she is giving him human characteristics. In this poem the snake is a central metaphor for sin and temptation in the world. Line 3 and 4 in the poem tell the reader that we have encountered temptation before and should notice its trickery. "You may have met him? Did you not his notice instant is."
In her poem "258", she connects a natural element, light, with an internal conflict she has with religion. "There is a certain slant of light," (line 1). "That oppresses like the heft of Cathedral Tunes," (line 3-4). "An imperial affliction" (line 11). Dickinson expresses the weight she feels is carried upon accepting the slanted truth that society is conveying through religion. Her internal conflict will cause her pain but will not be shown to the world, "Heavenly hurt, it gives us we can find no scar but internal difference where the meanings are," (lines 5-8). Dickinson expresses her personal conflicts in life through her connection with nature in her poems.

Jonathon D.

2/21/2013 12:08:07 am

Emily Dickinson refers to nature quite frequently in her poems. The main poem that she refers to is 1096 (986). Here she shows an image of a snake and its surrounding. "A narrow Fellow in the Grass," this is the first clue in revealing that what she is talking about is a snake. In my opinion I think that the "snake" she uses is a symbol for something much bigger. It could me a symbol for life in general and how it could slip away at any moment. Also later on in the poem she says. "When stooping to secure it/It wrinkled And was gone," this could symbolize that when Emily tries and grabs life at the fullest, it always manages to slip away from her grasp. The other poem that she refers to nature in is poem 320 (258). In this poem it is a little more difficult to figure out what she is saying. In the first stanza, she says, "There's a certain Slant of light,/Winter Afternoons." This is the main line in which she refers to nature. It could be a cold, dreary and dark winter afternoon and that this "ray of light" is her way of cheering her up. At the end of the poem she says, "When it comes, the Landscape listens?Shadows-hold their breath," this kind of ends this false hope of doing what she wanted to.

Ariana

2/21/2013 02:27:45 am

Jonathon, I really like your interpretaion for the symbol of the snake. I never thought that it could repersent life and how it could slip away at any time. You also presented evidence to support your interpretaion, good job!

Ariana

2/21/2013 02:25:27 am

Emily Dickinson demonstrates nature in her poems just like many other Romantic era poets did. Dickison accomplished this by personifying many items of nature. For example in poem 1096 (986) she gives the snake human characteristics, " a narrow Fellow in the Grass". Dickinson also creates imagery by using nature to paint the pictures in the reader's head. In poem 1096 (986) it says, " the Grass divides as with a Comb", "Boggy Acre" and " unbraiding in the Sun". She also uses nature to create imagery in poem 320
(258); line one says " There's a certain Slant of light". This could be reperseting a little glimpse of hope or happiness in a dark or empty life; perhaps this is how Emily was feeling at the time.Emily uses personification in the poem as well; in lines thirteen and fourteen Dickinson writes, " When it comes, the Landscape listens- Shadows-hold thier breath-". Dickinson might be implying that nature is the only thing to truely "listen" and "understand" your problems.

Trevor

2/21/2013 02:42:44 am

Emily Dickinson tends to tie her poems to the various powers and images associated with nature. In 320, she starts the poem describing a “certain slant of light,/Winter Afternoons.” Dickinson creates a beautiful image using nature. It is a very effective way to captivate the reader using an appealing image and keep the reader engaged. In poem 340, the author begins the poem with a reference to nature again. “I felt a funeral in my brain” describes the natural life cycle of life and death. This is a common theme that can be seen throughout this poem. It seems like Dickinson is fascinated by the cycle of life in this poem. The reader can tell that the author isn't worried about dying herself when she ends the poem matter of factly with “And finished knowing -then-.” It is interesting how Dickinson seems to remove a lot of her feelings from the objects she describes in her poems.

Mackenzie Cyr

2/21/2013 03:25:57 am

In Emily Dickinson's poems she ties elements of nature in with poetry in many different ways. In poem 258 Dickinson starts her poem with "Winter Afternoons" to symbolize dreary weather and darkness all around. This image portrays the thought of weight upon one's shoulders just a little more. In poem 986 Dickinson uses "Fellow in the Grass" to represent a snake making its way through a field. She mentions a "Boggy Acre" and a "Whip lash Unbraiding in the Sun" to describe something leather like basking in the sun, coming undone. I believe she ties nature in with this poem to show that its in man's nature to be sinful and that it is impossible for one to fully grasp innocence once its lost. We are constantly pushed around by this "snake" reperesenting sin; we can't be around it without feeling "tighter breathing" or "Zero at the Bone".

Carley

2/21/2013 04:05:45 am

Good ideas. I had never thought of the snake as sin and now seeing that brings another side to the poem that we hadn't touched down upon in class. Nice job.

Carley

2/21/2013 03:55:18 am

Dickinson constantly uses her relationship with nature to help make points in her poetry. For instance, in 320 (258), the “certain Slant of Light” that “oppresses, like the Heft/Of Cathedral Tunes-”, Dickinson is signifying how purity and goodness is being jaded. Many people refer to light as good, pure, and right, so when Dickinson recreates this pure and good thing as “slanted” and “oppressing”, it sets the tone which ultimately helps the reader discover the true meaning of the poem. She also demonstrates her connection with nature in 340 (280). The poem starts with the speaker feeling “a funeral, in my Brain/And Mourners to and fro/Kept treading- treading- till it seemed/That Sense was breaking through-” What is more untainted than the naïve human mind before sense gets the best of it? The impact of nature, as well as human nature, on Dickinson is of significance in her poetry..

Mika

2/25/2013 06:30:45 am

I couldn't think of how poem 280 could have related to nature, but you've got a good idea of how it relates to human nature.

Mika

2/25/2013 06:29:00 am

Dickinson often has nature included in her poems. In poem 986, she says how close she feels to nature. "Several of Nature's People/I know, and they know me." Throughout the entire poem, she uses imagery to describe nature. Also, in poem 258, she says, "There's a certain Slant of light,/Winter Afternoons-That oppresses,/like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes," to explain how nature is being "slanted" and "opressed" like how religion, "Cathedral Tunes," is being misused.

Lacayah

3/7/2013 12:52:12 am

As a Romantic poet, Dickinson related much of human nature with the natural world. In her poem "258" she says "There's a certain Slant of light, / Winter Afternoons / That oppresses." Here she relates human nature to something visual. The human nature that she is speaking of may be the slant of truth and bias of society and how it oppresses many aspects of life. In her poem “241,” she speaks directly of human nature saying that “I like a look of Agony, / Because I know it’s true - / Men do not sham Convulsion, / Nor simulate, a Throe” By saying this, she states that although men can fake a look of happiness and satisfaction, a look of Agony and distraught is more pleasing to her because it is genuine. Then in her poem “986,” she describes the symbol of a snake in nature. The snake she refers to is sin and how it makes its way through society with ease. She then says “Several of Nature’s People / I know and they know me / I feel for them a transport / Of Cordiality,” saying that she meets many of the other elements of life (pain, joy, etc.), everyone does, but that it is just polite passing and it is eventually over.

Tristan

3/18/2013 11:40:59 am

In Emily Dickinson's poetry, she connects with the classic romantic theme of nature. In poem 528, she connects with nature by talking about light and death. The focus of the poem is also on natural emotions. In 986 the poem is about one of "nature's people": the snake. The whole poem is dedicated to the same subject. Both poems exemplify strong connections with nature as are pointed out above.

Emily Dickinson

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