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Tones In Nineteen Words

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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

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