Emily Dickinson's Obscurity

Events like the Kardashian app swiftly reaching one million highlight the population’s obsession with fame. People hoard information about celebrities and aspire to become one. While the public drains its life away over the fame, Emily Dickinson thrives in obscurity. Emily Dickinson believes fame should not be a focus in life. Through her poem “I’m Nobody! Who are You?”, Dickinson calls out fame and argues for obscurity. Emily Dickinson, a recluse, proudly labels herself as Nobody in the title. Dickinson leads a sheltered life away from society. Emily Dickinson’s isolation allows her to experience the benefits of obscurity. A majority of her poems are unpublished because of her aversion to attention and fame. This poem, although not published
The second stanza, while still mocking, has a more spiteful tone. Being somebody is “public like a frog” in Dickinson’s mind (Dickinson 6). Frogs receive attention for all the wrong reasons. Frogs are not famous for their goodness but for their ugliness and the slimy feeling associated with them. Also, Dickinson believes it is “dreary to be somebody!” because of the attentive admirers and critics (Dickinson 5). This is Dickinson’s epiphany. She fully realizes the horrors of fame. Dickinson not only supports being Nobody, but also warns of the deceptiveness of being somebody. Also, when Emily Dickinson identifies herself as Nobody in the title, she uses ethos to support her theme and her belief about fame. As the author and speaker, her word is influential. Emily Dickinson’s reclusive life also enforces the theme. Dickinson secludes herself from society, by choice, and she rarely publishes her poems. The few poems she publishes are local which keeps her from becoming somebody. Emily Dickinson’s experiences supports her strong beliefs on how obscurity is better than fame. The poem’s theme is that fame is not what it appears to
Although Emily Dickinson is a nineteenth century poet, her ideas are applicable today, perhaps even more so now than in her time. Emily Dickinson’s goal is to prove the crucial concept that nobodies live happier lives because they are not part of a mindless collective. Emily Dickinson desires to publish none of her poetry; she wants to be Nobody. During her lifetime, Dickinson avoids fame. Unfortunately, Emily Dickinson could not be Nobody for long; her relatives publish her poems. The world memorializes her, advertises her, and publicizes her into the bog of society, everything she fights against. However, although Emily Dickinson is inadvertently a hypocrite, society should take heed to her words and bask in not having excessive attention. Fame may give materialistic elation, but obscurity conveys unadulterated