EN 371-51
Dr. La Guardia, David
November 15, 2011
A. One pro/con response to a recent article or articles of criticism on any of the texts in the course.
Pros and Cons of Emily Dickinson As discussed in class, the difficulty of poetry could go a far distance. There is no introduction, background or prologue to poetry. It is often a story within a few lines. So, when reading poetry it is important to recognize and understand the metaphors and the symbolism that it contains. It is also critical to know all the definitions of the words in the poem. When reading the late, great Emily Dickinson's poems the comprehension criteria of poetry should not fall short. Along with Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson has been referred to as the grandparent of poetry. She has live a recluse life, one of which she preferred to spend in confinement. Very private, Dickinson has written hundreds of poems, 1,775 to be exact. Yet, only seven of her poems were published during her life time, none with her full consent. Her criteria of a poem was this, "If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only way I know it. Is there any other way." In poetry, Dickinson is often fascinated by nature, death, pain, love and God. In her poems Dickinson often speaks elliptically. That said, when reading Dickinson's poems, we must dot the I's and cross the T's that we think are not L's. We must make our own interpretation because Emily would not have wanted us to interpret them at all. This is where the window is open to much criticism that maybe a pro or con to how others view Dickinson and her work. This is where we unknowingly hyperbolae words or phrases that should be litotilate. With the complexity of some of Dickinson's poems, it is always nice to find reviews on Dickinson and her works. There are many ways