Charles Dickinson Ambiguity
Carillo, Elazje Carene Pytch A. September 13, 2013
III-2 AB/BSE Literature American Literature
Opening the Window Pane of Ambiguity in Dickinson’s “The Mystery of Pain” ______________________________________________________________________________ The Mystery of Pain Pain has an element of blank; It cannot recollect When it began, or if there was A time when it was not. It has no future but itself, Its infinite realms contain Its past, enlightened to perceive New periods of pain.
The ambiguity seen in this poem is the use of Affective Ambivalence/ …show more content…
Intentional Ambivalence. There is a fortunate confusion occurring in the poem wherein the confusion arises whether the poem is from the point of view of the persona seeing pain or whether the pain itself is personified and is the one talking. This confusion is evident since Dickinson’s poem presents pain impersonally but the poem itself personifies pain and the experience is presented from pain 's view. It can also be said that the poem is viewed from the persona speaking whose stance is to be the witness of pain. Pain is abstract but the poem presented as to having experience because of the element of time presented in the following lines; “When it began, or if there was; A time when it was not; It has no future but itself; It’s past, enlightened to perceive; New periods of pain.” Dickinson might be discovering the idea of pain in the act of writing that gives its readers a series of emotions and can sense the ambivalence used in the poem. The poem also presented an irony in the line “Pain has an element of blank;” The term ‘element’ means there are a lot of aspects to be considered but the word associated with it is the word ‘blank’ which has no matter or aspect at all.
The ambiguity of “author- reader meaning conflict” is shown in the line “New periods of pain” because of the confusion it creates that a reader is forced to invent interpretations. If the word ‘period’ will be read literally, it seems to contradict the idea of unbroken continuity from lines 1- 7 but can also be assumed that a ‘period’ is followed by another ‘period’ since it is used in a plural form. On the other hand, this might also suggest that pain succeeds pain without stopping, the same as one period of time succeeds another without interruption but only a continuous cycle.
The first line states that Pain has an element of blank that can be connected to the title itself. The title proposes that there is a ‘mystery’ in pain. This is being justified by the ‘element of blank’ where it means ‘blotting out’ or hiding something. It also suggests that pain clears or empties life of other experience. The second line “It cannot recollect” suggests the idea of ‘reflecting’ or the sense of experience. The succeeding lines “When it began, or if there was; A time when it was not” suggests time and the lines also reiterated that it is in the past because of the words began and was. Therefore the first stanza suggests that pain is so overwhelming that it blots out everything anyone has experienced but pain. The one suffering remembers the past as having consisted of nothing but pain.
The second line also suggests time; “It has no future but itself; Its infinite realms contain; Its past, enlightened to perceive; New periods of pain” where in it shows that in the grip of pain, the persona only sees a continuing pain in the future, as ‘infinite’ and ‘New periods’ suggests.
The word ‘enlightenment’ shows the ambiguity in the poem through the use of irony. Enlightenment is insight which enlarges our intellectual or spiritual understanding or enhances our knowledge. The enlightenment which pain brings is the realization that the future holds more and still more pain. Being enlightened means to be uplifted to expect a better outcome but this was contradicted by being uplifted through knowing that there is more pain to come in the
future.
The poem has a sense of timelessness and irresistible dominance. The pain immensely dominates an individual that it displaces everything in her life including identity. If a person is only aware of pain, therefore that person becomes pain itself. Pain has depersonalized her like taking way her individuality. Dickinson presents the experience from the perspective of personifying pain and depersonalizing the sufferer. This is implies through the use of impersonal pronouns like ‘it’ and ‘its’. By using the phrase that “cannot recollect”, “has no future” and “enlightened to perceive” presents the idea that the experience in the poem is presented from the viewpoint of pain. The irresistible dominance of pain has overcome the sufferer that its identity becomes pain itself. The poem didn’t use any words that contain emotions for it is showed in the perspective of pain.
______________________________________________________________________________
The Mystery of Pain Pain has an element of blank; Empty, ‘blots out’, w/ aspect irony w/o aspect It cannot recollect experience, reflecting, realization
When it began, or if there was concept of time, past Past tense A time when it was not. concept of time, past Suggests the ‘continuous cycle of pain’ It has no future but itself, concept of time Its infinite realms contain ‘suggests continuity’ irony- to be uplifted knowing that the future holds more pain Reminiscing pain Its past, enlightened to perceive ‘to enlarge knowledge’, ‘uplift understanding’ New periods of pain. Author- reader meaning conflict
Can be read literally as May suggest pain as a cycle.
‘period’ that contradicts the continuity in line 1- 7.
Bibliography: www.gradesaver.com www.wikipedia.com/emilydickinson
Other References:
Discussions on ambiguity and its seven types.
III-2 AB/BSE Literature American Literature
Opening the Window Pane of Ambiguity in Dickinson’s “The Mystery of Pain” ______________________________________________________________________________ The Mystery of Pain Pain has an element of blank; It cannot recollect When it began, or if there was A time when it was not. It has no future but itself, Its infinite realms contain Its past, enlightened to perceive New periods of pain.
The ambiguity seen in this poem is the use of Affective Ambivalence/ …show more content…
Intentional Ambivalence. There is a fortunate confusion occurring in the poem wherein the confusion arises whether the poem is from the point of view of the persona seeing pain or whether the pain itself is personified and is the one talking. This confusion is evident since Dickinson’s poem presents pain impersonally but the poem itself personifies pain and the experience is presented from pain 's view. It can also be said that the poem is viewed from the persona speaking whose stance is to be the witness of pain. Pain is abstract but the poem presented as to having experience because of the element of time presented in the following lines; “When it began, or if there was; A time when it was not; It has no future but itself; It’s past, enlightened to perceive; New periods of pain.” Dickinson might be discovering the idea of pain in the act of writing that gives its readers a series of emotions and can sense the ambivalence used in the poem. The poem also presented an irony in the line “Pain has an element of blank;” The term ‘element’ means there are a lot of aspects to be considered but the word associated with it is the word ‘blank’ which has no matter or aspect at all.
The ambiguity of “author- reader meaning conflict” is shown in the line “New periods of pain” because of the confusion it creates that a reader is forced to invent interpretations. If the word ‘period’ will be read literally, it seems to contradict the idea of unbroken continuity from lines 1- 7 but can also be assumed that a ‘period’ is followed by another ‘period’ since it is used in a plural form. On the other hand, this might also suggest that pain succeeds pain without stopping, the same as one period of time succeeds another without interruption but only a continuous cycle.
The first line states that Pain has an element of blank that can be connected to the title itself. The title proposes that there is a ‘mystery’ in pain. This is being justified by the ‘element of blank’ where it means ‘blotting out’ or hiding something. It also suggests that pain clears or empties life of other experience. The second line “It cannot recollect” suggests the idea of ‘reflecting’ or the sense of experience. The succeeding lines “When it began, or if there was; A time when it was not” suggests time and the lines also reiterated that it is in the past because of the words began and was. Therefore the first stanza suggests that pain is so overwhelming that it blots out everything anyone has experienced but pain. The one suffering remembers the past as having consisted of nothing but pain.
The second line also suggests time; “It has no future but itself; Its infinite realms contain; Its past, enlightened to perceive; New periods of pain” where in it shows that in the grip of pain, the persona only sees a continuing pain in the future, as ‘infinite’ and ‘New periods’ suggests.
The word ‘enlightenment’ shows the ambiguity in the poem through the use of irony. Enlightenment is insight which enlarges our intellectual or spiritual understanding or enhances our knowledge. The enlightenment which pain brings is the realization that the future holds more and still more pain. Being enlightened means to be uplifted to expect a better outcome but this was contradicted by being uplifted through knowing that there is more pain to come in the
future.
The poem has a sense of timelessness and irresistible dominance. The pain immensely dominates an individual that it displaces everything in her life including identity. If a person is only aware of pain, therefore that person becomes pain itself. Pain has depersonalized her like taking way her individuality. Dickinson presents the experience from the perspective of personifying pain and depersonalizing the sufferer. This is implies through the use of impersonal pronouns like ‘it’ and ‘its’. By using the phrase that “cannot recollect”, “has no future” and “enlightened to perceive” presents the idea that the experience in the poem is presented from the viewpoint of pain. The irresistible dominance of pain has overcome the sufferer that its identity becomes pain itself. The poem didn’t use any words that contain emotions for it is showed in the perspective of pain.
______________________________________________________________________________
The Mystery of Pain Pain has an element of blank; Empty, ‘blots out’, w/ aspect irony w/o aspect It cannot recollect experience, reflecting, realization
When it began, or if there was concept of time, past Past tense A time when it was not. concept of time, past Suggests the ‘continuous cycle of pain’ It has no future but itself, concept of time Its infinite realms contain ‘suggests continuity’ irony- to be uplifted knowing that the future holds more pain Reminiscing pain Its past, enlightened to perceive ‘to enlarge knowledge’, ‘uplift understanding’ New periods of pain. Author- reader meaning conflict
Can be read literally as May suggest pain as a cycle.
‘period’ that contradicts the continuity in line 1- 7.
Bibliography: www.gradesaver.com www.wikipedia.com/emilydickinson
Other References:
Discussions on ambiguity and its seven types.