As Imperceptibly As Grief - Emily Dickinson Flashcards
Poet context
published posthumously in 1865 by Dickinson’s sister
‘Imperceptible’ - may reflect how Dickinson feels as though no one sees her
Recluse after Charles Wadsworth, a married preacher, left and didn’t return her unrequited love
Fascinated with death
her poems often employ a meter and diction similar to that found in hymns - she was fascinated with faith
Historical context
Wrote during American Civil War - may be an indirect reference to grief stemming from the war, and she would be surrounded by grieving families
Speaker
Stepped aside to allow the reader to focus on the detailed feeling
Speaker is extremely observant to the ‘imperceptible’ - may often ponder philisophical
Rhyme scheme
Ballad rhyme scheme 1-4 ABCB then slant rhymes installed - doesn’t fully satisfy the ear’s desire for pattern, like summer to autumn isn’t fully transformed immediately
‘As Imperceptibly as Grief’
disorientating simile - grief is usually overbearing, yet it is subtle
Oxymoronic - grief is a human emotion, yet this claims that there is a grief beyond human powers of perception
‘The summer lapsed away-‘
Summer moved from being daily to a memory - loss over time
caesura reflects her disjointed way of thinking
‘lapsed’ - lapsed memory? subtly draws the reader’s attention to the way that the relentless passage of time imbues everything with a sense of loss.
‘Too imperceptible, at last,’
Near anaphora of imperceptible despite the last syllable, reflects the slight change throughout and how it erodes or emerges into sight
‘too seem like perfidy’
Wrong to accuse summer of tricking, it is all inevitable and a natural part of life
End-stop (each subsequent quatrain does the same) - indirect way of distinguishing seasons passing?
Light quotes
‘twilight’ 6 ‘dusk’ 9 ‘shone’ 10 ‘light’ 15
Light analysis
All transitional, reflecting subtlety of passing seasons/grief
‘nature spending with herself’
‘her’ reflects Dickinson’s intentional isolation of herself, contradicting typical human thoughts (wants to challenge readers?) that loneliness is always negative
‘a courteous, yet harrowing Grace’
God’s love is oxymoronic (links back with title) - maybe experiences how she has lost loved ones in her life, yet sill tries to keep in touch with her faith
‘as Guest that would be gone’
triple alliterative mimics a rhythmic flow to the reader, representing the continously imperceptible passing of seasons into the next quatrain
‘Our summer made her light escape’
Humans all subjected to the vagarious nature of time, however we can find solace and comfort with ‘our’ summer as we know the changes will be continous and rhythmic every year
Pun - light is so integral to life, but is also a mysterious and intangible element of human existence
