Emily Dickinson Impact On Society

Poetry has remained a visceral form of self expression for centuries. Consequently, poetry has no means of resisting the constant shifts in style, prose, and content that come with the times. This is showcased in the works of famous poets like William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and John Donne. William Shakespeare is credited to be a wordsmith ahead of his time for crafting some of the most well known works of literature, Emily Dickinson is considered one of America’s leading female poets of the 1800s, and John Donne is recognized as one of the leading members of the metaphysical movement. Even so, their work spoke out on religion, love, death, and anything concerning society’s implication on the established perception of the world and humankind.
This adds an element of finality that leaves the audience wondering the direction in which Dickinson is taking, especially in regards to the subject of the afterlife. “'Twas lowered, like a Weight/It made no Signal, nor demurred/But dropped like Adamant” (Arp 810). Words like “Weight,” “Signal,” and “Adamant” are all capitalized to impart the loss of a soul to speak or move the body. This separation leaves the body swollen and abandoned without use to anyone. Also, the third stanza marks a shift in the solemn tone established before to an indifferent one through the use of the word “it” in reference to the dead corpse. A chilling somber mood is then reflected to provide the reader with the insight that the person is no longer a person, but simply a stiff corpse surrounded by emptiness, which mirrors a lack of belief in a definite afterlife. In Dickinson’s time, the belief in an afterlife—heaven and hell— was upheld by the overly religious, American society. Clearly, with a focus on how the body changes physically, Dickinson refrains from saying what happens to the soul, allowing the audience to form their own speculations on the subject matter. Therefore, the atmosphere surrounding her quiet reflection on the aftermath of death was once held obscure in her society’s
His proposal was considered uncalled for and sinful in his early time to those in his religious, British society. “And in this flea our two bloods mingled be/ Thou know’st that this cannot be said/ A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead” (Arp 812). The speaker uses exaggeration to accomplish an ironic and persuasive tone, which is seen through his warning that it is sacrilegious to kill the flea. Establishing a playful, light hearted atmosphere from the beginning, the audience can clearly see the narrator does not care if his proposal to the young maiden is considered inappropriate. Playing along with the societal viewpoint that sexual relations before marriage is a sin, the narrator argues the act of their blood mixing in the flea is in fact as ceremonial as any marriage, rendering it acceptable to partake in such activities. Also, the poem follows a AABBCC rhyme scheme with three stanzas, giving it a sense of fluidity that makes the poem easy to follow and reflects the author’s intention of eliciting a mockingly playful