As Imperceptibly As Grief by Emily Dickinson

Question 1

What does Dickinson use As Imperceptibly as Grief as vehicle to?

Answer 1

To help her process her grief, which she recognises as a very difficult emotion to recognise and understand as shown by the title

Question 2

Intital point

Answer 2

• Dickinson adresses her loss through the symbolism of summer fading away
• Contextually, summer is respires stative of the priest who left her

Question 3

Initially… (qoute 1)

Answer 3

“The Summer lapsed away”

• The summer is representative of the preacher Charles Wadsworth who left her
• “lapsed” highlights the fleeting nature of the people in her life, and of her emotions. This notion would be invisible to normal people, however she spent many years in recluse

Question 4

Initially… (qoute 2)

Answer 4

“To seem like perfidy- A Quietness distilled”

• “perfidy” is in reference to the preacher leaving her
• “quietness distilled”- is reference to the distinct silence that now surrounds her since Charles left her
• the use of the dash symbolises her processing her grief, and breaks up her thoughts

Question 5

However as the text develops point…

Answer 5

She continues to process her grief by making distinct references to her lover that left her

Question 6

However as the text develops… (point 1)

Answer 6

“The morning foreign shone”

• “foreign” suggests that the hope of seeing a new day with new opportunities is alien to her which shows her complete lack of hope that her she will ever get over her grief
• “shone” and “gone” from the next line are the only two rhyming words, which softens her tone, juxtaposing the animosity of the sentiment that he left her

Question 7

As the text develops… (point 2)

Answer 7

“A courteous yet harrowing Grace”

• “courteous” is reference to him trying to peacefully leave her
• However, the prolongation of the leaving process is “harrowing” and distressing for her, it also highlights the unrequited nature of their love

Question 8

Ultimately point

Answer 8

Ultimately, Dickinson comes to the realisation that her grief will dissipate just as her happiness did with Charles, as does all emotions are constantly “fleeting” and fading

Question 9

Ultimately… (qoute 1)

Answer 9

“And thus”

-this phrase suggests that she has began to accept her grief and has began to move on

Question 10

Ultimately… (point 2)

Answer 10

“Light escape”

• this contrasts her initial acceptance because it suggests that she recognises that he felt very little in leaving her and she took the grunt of the grief
• The final full stop is the only terminal punctuation, is shows her ultimate acceptance of grief