Emily Dickinson, "Publication," "Because I Could Not Stop for Death," "After great pain" Flashcards
What did Emily Dickinson write?
“Publication” “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” “After great pain”
time period and relevant historical context “Publication”
wrote around 1,800 poems in lifetime, published only 10 anonymously, prior to being published poems subjected to intense editing
plot summary “Publication”
Publication described as a cruel process akin to selling one’s mind. Poverty might be preferable to the heinous selling out of publishing. God created the thoughts of mankind and writing is to be in touch with God and spread grace, but selling degrades the work and the author
key characters “Publication”
N/A
notable formal or stylistic elements “Publication”
Frequent use of dash, focus on the color white, metaphor of publication like selling your mind, religious allusions
important themes and recurring motifs “Publication”
publishing as form of degradation, selling artistic and intellectual labor, God, heaven, disgrace
literary ‘schools’ or genres; analytical concepts’ relevance to history “Publication”
relates to own distrust of publishing, perhaps why chose not to publish so much of her work
2-3 quotation samples “Publication”
other useful hints ID “Publication”
no title, ends with dash, publishing, “Him”/Creator
time period and relevant historical context “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
writing during the years of Civil War, influenced by death/pain/grief around her
plot summary “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
Death picks up the narrator in a carriage, two slowly ride past school children, fields of grain, setting sun. Pause before haunted house coming out of ground, narrator remarks on passage of time
key characters “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
Death
Narrator
notable formal or stylistic elements “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
Frequent use of dash, personification of death, temporality stretching of time
important themes and recurring motifs “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
death
stages of life
cycles
literary ‘schools’ or genres; analytical concepts; relevance to history “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
lyric poem
2-3 quotation samples “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
other useful hints ID “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”
no title, lots of dashes, description death personified
time period and relevant historical context “After great pain”
written around Civil War influenced by pain/death/grief around her
plot summary “After great pain”
After the great pain of trauma, emotional suffering follows that is akin to body parts stiffening and going through rigor mortis. One will feel stiff, anguished, and dissociated, and if they can outlive the intense impact, they will feel like freezing to death
key characters “After great pain”
N/A
notable formal or stylistic elements “After great pain”
frequent use of dash, metaphor of bodily death for emotional pain, metaphor mechanical feet, freezing
important themes and recurring motifs “After great pain”
pain, trauma, the body as a site of emotional trauma, letting go of pain and suffering
literary ‘schools’ or genres; analytical concepts; relevance to history “After great pain”
lyric poem
connection to Civil War
2-3 quotation samples “After great pain”
other useful hints ID “After great pain”
no title, great pain, suffering, mechanical feet, bodily sensation
