As imperceptibly as Grief, Emily Dickson

Question 1

“As imperceptibly as Grief”

Answer 1

Theme of death is forshadowed.
Melancholic tone.

Question 2

“…The summer lapsed away - “

Answer 2

Simile suggests that like summer passing, grief takes a long time to fade away.

Question 3

“Twilight long begun”

Answer 3

The tone is melancholic – “Twilight long begun” suggests that grief is overtaking her happiness.

Question 4

“dusk”, “twilight”, “summer lapsed away”

Answer 4

All images of end of day/season suggesting the passing of time and life.

Question 5

“A courteous, yet harrowing grace”

Answer 5

Oxymoron which suggests happiness is strange and unfamiliar to the persona.

Question 6

“Summer made her light escape Into the Beautiful”

Answer 6

Suggests the passage of time is inevitable but will end in something more positive, possibly a release into heaven.

The tone of the final words is more hopeful than the rest of the poem.

Question 7

Structure

Answer 7

Dickenson uses a series of dashes to create a hesitant and disjointed pace to the poem, reflecting her own fractured state of mind.