ipl-logo

Tones In Nineteen Words

545 Words3 Pages

Two Tones in Nineteen Words How can one juxtapose the two most valued tones known to man through the economical 6 lines of a poem? Emily Dickinson does just that. In Dickinson's poem “1212”, the narrator generates and portrays somberness and inspiration with ease; however, she only gives the reader a measly nineteen words in which to do so. Through these few lines, we see Dickinson compare society's thoughts to her own while demonstrating the “mysterious power of words” (Conarroe, p.75) that she recognized. In the first somber three lines of Dickinson’s poem “1212”, the reader finds the knowledge upon words in society’s eye. In this case, these words are compared to “death” (Dickinson, 1). This somber word stands out due to the economical use …show more content…

To begin, the narrator clearly takes ownership of the thoughts to come using pronouns like “I” (Dickinson, 4). Despite what society thinks, the narrator doesn't believe in the death of words, instead he or she believes that it “just / Begins to live / That day” (Dickinson, 4-6). Using words like “live” (Dickinson, 5) already contradict the somber tone of the first lines. This sudden switch allows for the reader to embrace the inspiration that the narrator is throwing at them. Moreover, the final line states, “That day” (Dickinson, 6) in order to mirror the instantaneous path in which this inspiration of individuality is taking. In a letter to her friend Dickinson exclaimed, “The mere sense of living is joy enough” (Conarroe, p.74). This is a replica of how the narrator feels in “1212”. Thus persuading the reader to break away. The narrator believes that the reader should not follow the gloomy path of society, rather live and flourish on your own. These inspirational three lines drown the somber and toxic tones of the first lines of “1212” while still inspiring the

Show More
Related
614 Words | 3 Pages

Although Dylan Thomas in “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” and Emily Dickinson in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” both talk about the similar issue of death, they are able to talk about different aspects of it with the same idea using unique poetic writing styles. For instance, Emily Dickinson uses irony in her poem by relating to the serious topic of death with a soft tone, treating it as a journey of life. Also, in “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” the speaker gives the reader a tone of urgency and demand, where even with anger and rage towards death everyone will all end with it no matter the situation because that is life. This paper aims to compare two poems with examples that will reveal their similarities and differences within the themes.

Read More
932 Words | 4 Pages

Whitman and Dickinson share the theme of death in their work, while Whitman decides to speak of death in a more realistic point of view, Dickinson speaks of the theme in a more conceptual one. In Whitman’s poems, he likes to have a more empathic view of individuals and their ways of living. For example, in Whitman’s “Song of Myself”, the poet talks about not just of himself, but all human beings, and of how mankind works into the world and the life of it. Even though the poem mostly talks about life and the happiness of it, Whitman describes also that life itself has its ending, and that is the theme of death. For Dickinson, she is the complete opposite of happiness.

Read More
562 Words | 3 Pages

In “419,” Dickinson’s darkness is a metaphor for the unknown. Her use of dashes throughout each stanza disrupts their smooth flow and characterizes her narrator, showing the character’s hesitancy when abandoned in the darkness. As the character progresses through the darkness, however, the reader identifies a hopeful and perseverant tone. By expressing that “We uncertain step / For newness of the night,” the narrator shares the feeling of alarming change that is expected to become easier given time.

Read More
279 Words | 2 Pages

On the surface, Emily Dickinson’s poem #605 seems to be an unconvincing declaration of life, but with the appliance of more neglected etymologies the piece describes a journey characterized by growth of self-assurance and inner power. The keyword “alive” gives the poem new breadth when considering the “Of a fire, flame, or spark: burning, not extinguished” definition alongside the standard “having life, living” definition. This etymological application accentuates the text’s reddish, fiery shades which expose the reader to the more enthusiastic and passionate undertones of the text. The incorporation of this alternate meaning reaches the peak of its depth in the final stanza. When placing the new meaning side by side with the standard definition,

Read More
401 Words | 2 Pages

Dickinson’s use of repetition and onomatopoeia helps show just how mad the narrator really is. It is stated,” Kept beating-beating- till I thought my mind was going numb”. The narrator is hearing noises that aren’t really there like the “beating” of a drum which supports the idea she is crazy. The first person point of view helps show that apparent funeral that is taking place inside of her mind. She states,” I felt a funeral, in my Brain…

Read More
238 Words | 1 Pages

To begin with, Blake uses tone throughout this poem. The attitude that Blake brought to this poem is astounding. It shows how people feel during that time period of 18th century. The tone used throughout this poem displays how Blake and many more people felt about society and children. He used so many different emotion from beginning to end in this poem.

Read More
594 Words | 3 Pages

Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost both write about darkness, structuring their poems in an uncertain and cynical tone stringing along the reader by using consistent rhyming and vague details. The authors also use extended metaphors and fearful imagery to implement the ominous feel that comes with darkness. Although both poems use different devices to achieve their purpose, the message is almost parallel. In Emily Dickinson's “419” she grabs your attention by using the pronoun “we”, in doing this she relates to the reader and makes the poem more personable.

Read More
762 Words | 4 Pages

Furthermore, the speaker’s death did not occur in a splendid fashion; one moment the speaker was alive, and then the next “the Windows failed” (15). The window of life had closed all of a sudden for the speaker, leaving her with a death in darkness. Dickinson’s inclusion of the sudden yet expected ending, which fails to include the speaker exiting on a chariot up to heaven, ironically demonstrates the harsh reality of death. The speaker only experiences unnerving darkness after death rather than the expected light and bright heaven. The speaker’s and the mourner’s expectations of death were ironically shattered with her simple

Read More
625 Words | 3 Pages

The poem that stood out the most while reading this assortment of Emily Dickinson poems, was her poem numbered 656/520. This poem used imagery in numerous ways throughout in order to show the audience the important themes and the overall meaning of this work of literature. The poem’s main theme was about a walk on the beach that the poet encountered in the early morning. Although the poem is about a beach it can also give the audience contextual clues into other aspects of life.

Read More
1000 Words | 4 Pages

The speaker seems completely at ease with the Death as they move along at a relaxed pace. In the third stanza, the reader sees reminders of the world that the speaker is passing through, with children playing, fields of grain, and the sun setting. However, the speakers place in the world shifts between the third stanza and the next. Dickinson states, “We passed the Setting Sun- (12)”, but at the beginning of the fourth stanza, the speaker corrects this by stating, “Or rather – / He passed us – (13) ” because she has died. In the rest of the

Read More
317 Words | 2 Pages

The sound in Dickinson’s poem is hugely dominated by her use of hyphens. We continually get interrupted when we read the poem. If we read the poem without using the iambic meter, as most people would, you can never quite get a rhythm going. The poem’s content gives of a feeling of indifference and coldness, but the hyphens creates just a hint of impatience. “I could not see to see –” (Dickinson, l. 16), we see here that the poem ends with a hyphen.

Read More
763 Words | 4 Pages

Dickinson began writing early on, yet her first piece was published after her death. Dickinson’s writing can be describe as gloomy or dark, whereas Whitman’s is not. Throughout her work she portrays how life merely continues and exploits the darker, less noticeable meaning of daily life events. Her writing is extremely precise, she uses slant rhymes through her writing. By doing such she is able to put emphasis on certain words to convey the prominence of what is being said.

Read More
2095 Words | 9 Pages

On the one hand, if one goes deeply into Dickinson’s poem “This is my letter to the world”, where one can say that this poem can be appreciated that the speaker is complaining about the way that life has gone on. At first sight it is possible to observe that the language used by Dickinson was very simple because it was easy to understand. However, it was more complex than it seems to be, because a different meaning could have been given to the poem if it is analyzed in a deeper way. Moreover the poetic devices that she uses make the poem very attractive for the reader and also easy to follow because of the musicality that her rhymes produced in the way it is read, as in the ones used in the verse 2: “That never wrote to Me”, compared to verse 4: “With tender Majesty”, where the endings have the same sound. (Dickinson, poem #441: This is my letter to the

Read More
1079 Words | 5 Pages

Tone in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner [1] Throughout The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Coleridge’s use of tone defines the themes of the poem, crafting the meaning of the didactic piece through the subtle manipulation of tone. [2] From beginning suspicion to concluding revelation, constantly shifting tone mirrors the sway of the sea, rocking from hope to despair as the Mariner is consecutively delivered and damned. [3] Reverent praise is eclipsed by murderous condemnation, peaceful calm shattered by raging storms, and the unwilling reader is dragged into the poem, the Mariner grasping one’s psyche through his rapidly shifting tone of speech. [4] Riddled with duality, drenched with contrast, the poem is defined not just by what is said,

Read More
926 Words | 4 Pages

In “Because I Could Not Stop For Death”, Emily Dickinson uses imagery and symbols to establish the cycle of life and uses examples to establish the inevitability of death. This poem describes the speaker’s journey to the afterlife with death. Dickinson uses distinct images, such as a sunset, the horses’ heads, and the carriage ride to establish the cycle of life after death. Dickinson artfully uses symbols such as a child, a field of grain, and a sunset to establish the cycle of life and its different stages. Dickinson utilizes the example of the busyness of the speaker and the death of the sun to establish the inevitability of death.

Read More

More about Tones In Nineteen Words

Related Topics

Open Document