One way that the meaning of the poem "She Rose to His Requirement" may be interpreted is that in the beginning a woman is facing up to a sacrifice that she made by meeting her husband's strict requirements of what he expects in a wife and giving up perhaps some choices of her own life to be his wife. In the second stanza it may be interpreted that she overwhelmed with the expectations, or that she just grew tired of the "requirements" set for her. She felt she wouldn't be loved as much, in the sense that the gold of the wedding ring would be worn away. Or as a feeling that her love is fading away in the face of not being appreciated. In the last stanza the woman is realizing what it takes to be a wife. She wonders if her husband could know how hard it to be a wife because he never brings it up to her, although he loves her and respects the work that she does.
Today, a lot of women don't stay home to be housewives. They might work to support their family of even take care of an elderly parent of relative. For the women who stay home, they must feel the way that this poem describes it at first by having to give up their social live to do house work. Women probably have to give up as much as past generations of women had to. They may have different tools to make the work go faster, but they still have to make sacrifices that mean just at much as they did generations ago as they do now.
Emily Dickinson has her own very unique way of writing. By Reading composition referring to the poem "She Rose to His Requirement", the reader may have a clearer understanding of the different ways to interpret her poem, as well as finding images that may or may not be relevant to today.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The husband having to prove his love and explaining anything to his wife are some of the many changes we see in marriage in these modern times. The poem states, “Enough unkindness now, my love, enough;/ don't let these tyrant jealousies torment…
- 1114 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
In A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner writes a pathetic woman, Miss Emily, to show the true lives of the rich and his frustration with society. Faulkner’s goal of Miss Emily’s alienation shows wealthy people’s lives aren’t perfect and how grief can impact people. To show this goal, the author uses the theme of truth vs. reality. For example, “Being left alone and a pauper, she had become humanized”(2), shows that the town people initially thinking that she is better than everyone else; however after she loses her dad, she becomes more ordinary. Even though the town people think of Emily as an eccentric and haughty Southern belle, they envy her; she’s wealthy and the town people are not. However, since Emily isolates herself from her peers, the town people never see her.…
- 505 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The first line “Double estate – entailed at pleasure” suggests this imagery (5). The word “Estate” implies responsibility, honor, and social patterns (5). However, this line serves to cultivate the disjointed repetition tactic Dickinson employs; the words “Estate” and “entailed” are assonant, but again a hyphen separates the words, forcing the speaker and reader to pause (5). The next lines “Upon an unsuspecting Heir – / Duke in a moment of Deathlessnes” continues the imagery of inheritance and patterns, as the use of “Heir” and “Duke” suggest responsibilities and expectations (6-7). This, of course, contrasts to the obvious lack of any pattern in terms of the sound of the poem. In line 7 the tenuous pattern of repetitive alliteration prevails, but in a manner that – like in every other line – belies the presence of any actual pattern: “Duke” and “Deathlessness” are alliterative, but are at opposite ends of the line. Finally, the final line “And God, for a Frontier” continues the erratic pattern of repetition (8). The alliteration pattern of words jump from being at opposite sides of the line in line 7 to being almost next to each other in this final line (i.e. “for” and “Frontier”(8)). There is also a slant rhyme in this second stanza: “Heir” and “Frontier”, which lends to the theme of almost but not quite ever actually fitting somewhere; the speaker is indeed an “Heir” that cannot quite fit into the “Frontier” that is her existence…
- 681 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Emily Dickinson uses many metaphors to express the theme. This provides powerful images and makes the theme more…
- 404 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
She loved him unconditionally and was as fulfilled as any woman could have ever been. This poem confirmed to me that she would have done anything and everything for her husband. It seems to me that she felt she could not love him enough. It is remarkable to see that couples in the earlier centuries truly loved each other and supported one another, seeing as the majority of the time the marriages were rearranged due to social and economic obligation rather than love.…
- 475 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
2. How does the soul react to the chariots and the emperor? 3. After the soul chooses one society, she sometimes does what? 4. What can you infer about the soul from the words shuts, unmoved, and close? 5. What does the language of the poem demonstrate about the poet? 6. What does the soul determine about a person? “This is my letter to the World” 7. What does the ending of “This is my letter to the World” reveal about the speaker? 8. What can you infer from the lines “Her Message is committed / To Hands I cannot see—”? 9. Which lines in “This is my letter to the World” relate to the poet’s reclusive nature? 10. What is the speaker referring to in “for love of Her—Sweet—countrymen—”? “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” 11. According to the speaker what is the nature of truth? 12. How does the speaker in say the truth should be revealed? 13. According to the speaker what is slant truth? 14. To what does Dickinson compare truth? “Success is counted sweetest” 15. According to the speaker what has been the experience of the people who value success the most? 16. What does the nectar symbolize? 17. Describe the tone of the poem. 18. What aspect of Dickinson’s own life might have she been commenting on in this poem? 19. Dickinson uses a straightforward, neutral tone to emphasize what fact from the speaker? 20. Which image appeals most strongly to the sense of sound?…
- 561 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
This book shows what Emily’s vision was and the purpose of her poetry. The author suggests that the purpose of her poetry was Dickinson’s attempt to find her identity. This would help me in writing my thesis because I can look at which poems could be identified as being “feminists” or not.…
- 1044 Words
- 5 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Mrs. Dickinson strives to maintain her image in the eyes of others. Mrs. Dickinson “… [is] one of those woman who have an unfailing sense of what to say, and say it: despair, perversity, or stubborn virtue must actuate them” (111). Mrs. Dickinson understands that being harsh on Fredrick (her son), hurts him extensively but she continues to be harsh. She doesn’t have much concern towards Fredrick’s feelings; Mrs. Dickinson just ignores Fredrick when he cries. Mrs. Dickinson punishes her son for crying in public, by not taking him to the zoo. Despite Mrs. Dickinson’s ignorant behavior towards her son she tells everyone, “… there is Fredrick. I bound to put him firs t… “(113). Mrs. Dickinson rejects marriage proposals by saying that she cares about Fredrick first; whereas the truth behind her rejection is that she likes to be seen as a very independent woman, since she is a single mother. Mrs. Dickinson “[lifts] her chin with that noble, decided movement so many people liked” (111). Mrs. Dickinson adores displaying herself as a gallant woman by keeping her chin up. She only acts as if she cares about Fredrick because it helps strengthen her false image of being self-reliant. Mrs. Dickinson strives to impress whoever she…
- 923 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
After studying a bunch of Emily Dickinson’s poems and learning a little bit of background about her, I have discovered that I really appreciate the complexity of her work, and when I first read Marilyn Nelson Waniek’s poem, “Emily Dickinson’s Defunct,” a poem written about Dickinson, I found it to be very interesting. It was fascinating, one, because it valued Dickinson and her work, and two, because it reminded me of another one of my favorite poems, “Taking Off Emily Dickinson’s Clothes” by Billy Collins. The reason it reminded me of Collins’ poem was because of Waniek’s allusions to Dickinson’s poetry throughout the poem, which Collins did a lot in his poem. There are many aspects of this poem that interest me but the top three are the speed of the poem, the many allusions to Dickinson’s work, and the bluntness, comicality, and contradiction of how Waniek describes Dickinson.…
- 689 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Michael Salvucci Mrs. Comeau English 10 Honors Death, Pain, and the Pursuit of Peace Although Emily Dickinson’s poetry is profoundly insightful, her poems have a very confinedpan of subjects and themes. Most likely due to her early life and social reclusion, Dickinson’s poetry is limited to three major subjects: death, pain, and on a somewhat lighter note, nature. Dickinson’s poetry is greatly influenced by her early life as she led an extremely secluded and pessimisticlife. In her early adult years the poet spent one year studying at female seminary, from 1847 to 1848. Dickinson’s blunt pessimistic attitude is shown in a letter, written to a friend, as she says “I am not happy…Christ is calling everyone here, all my companions have answered, and I am standing alone in rebellion.” (Meltzer 20-21) The poets self-described rebellious manner can be acclaimed to her residence featuring many politically active and dominant men, as her brother, father and grandfather were all attorneys with interest in politics. Again in a letter to a friend written during a political convention, Dickinson wonders “why can’t [she] be a delegate in the convention?” as she says “[she] knows all about the tariff and the law.” (Sewall 64-65) She recognizes the gender barrier in society and as a result Dickinson develops a unique style of poetry. Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality. (Lines 1-4) The speaker’s use of the word ‘kindly’ to describe death exemplifies his civil and considerate manner, but is his courteous character an illusion? Later in the poem the speaker writes: We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put away My labor, and my leisure too, For his civility. (4-8) Because of death’s kindness in stopping for the speaker, she “put[s] away / [her] labor, and [her] leisure too,” (5-6), is death being true in taking her to heaven, or is he betraying her? There interposed a fly (9-12)…
- 978 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The human desire for belonging can be nurtured or inhibited by an individual’s society. In her poem, “this is my letter to the world,” Dickinson not only reveals her desire to belong, but also the way that society has prevented her from achieving this. Dickinson accomplishes this effectively as she reflects her feelings through a “letter to the world.” Dickinson attempts to internalise the views of her society and, upon failing to do so, retreats further within herself where she finds a sense of belonging. The line “The simple news that Nature told, with tender majesty,” demonstrates Dickinson’s reverence for nature and the hope that people will be able to hear her message through it, which is personified as the mediator between Dickinson and her society. Within this poem, it is clear that Dickinson has a closer affinity to nature than she does with society. It is through nature that she is able to gain a sense of belonging, which is fundamental for human growth and development. Dickinson's messages are complex and profound but usually conveyed in simple language, which tends to create an enigmatic effect. In this poem, Dickinson uses metonymy to represent her society as “hands I cannot see.” This demonstrates her alienation with society and her need to simplify them into something she is able to comprehend. The last line makes a final appeal to the…
- 626 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
How strange that when inside a scenario very similar to the one she mourns for in “Contrasts”, Dickinson seems just as miserable. Therefore, one might conclude that her reclusive lifestyle was both her own private heaven and hell. She seems to crave joy and yet chooses to be melancholy. The choice of the word “abstinence” in the first poem seems to imply that she somewhat consciously denies herself the guilty pleasure of happiness, perhaps feeling it sinful to enjoy life when others, like the soldiers she mentions, are suffering. The words “stimulate” and “spices” contrast with her favor of the bland. This is similar to the juxtaposition of the warmth of the scene inside the open door to her lost plight outside in the second poem. Within the two descriptions of diametrically different experiences, both of which are encounters with others, one can simultaneously feel the heartache of Dickinson’s loneliness as well as her overwhelming desire to seek comfort in…
- 931 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
This stanza concerns Emily’s signature theme of death, but this time it deals with how her progress and achievements in her life have immortalized her in the minds of people and in paper. However the stanza has an ambiguous meaning since her inability to die and live more than God(Though I than he may longer live, he longer must than I) can implicitly adumbrate that many people won’t remember God bringing them into his church, but instead call forth on her as their light in the darkness. She thinks that God is the true architect in the scheme, not her, but people will remember her more than they will ever do about God. In short, Emily Dickinson delights us with an intricate poem that can be difficult to discern but at last proves worth by revealing to us a powerful and truthful pathway, God still can sow in our…
- 689 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Dickinson’s I died for beauty, but was scarce examines the struggle between opposing pressures of individuality as an artist and a search for acceptance through the persona’s attempt to acquire fulfilment after death. The persona’s introduction as an outsider due to a lack of conformity in society is clearly illustrated in the first line of the poem “I died for beauty, but was scarce” where “scarce” serves to emphasise the persona’s lack of recognition and acknowledgement while she was alive. The introduction of the secondary persona metaphorically juxtaposes this as “one who died for truth”, implying a difference between the two who are placed in “adjoining rooms” as an imagery of distance due to their differences, also showing the persona’s struggle with opposing pressures to reach out, yet building a wall when in fear of losing her individuality. An examination of the paradoxical nature of belonging that creates struggles is also evident through the persona’s death “for beauty” where beauty is a symbolisation for Dickinson’s art is perceived as a failure as she is questioned as to “why I failed?”, showing the view of her society where a lack of conformity is seen as a failure and illustrates her absence of belonging in society as a result of choosing to retain her…
- 1281 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
1)Throughout the poems of Emily Dickinson. She seems to have a new theme, idea, or tone in a different poem. One theme that is in poem 49 is based on her own life and what she experiences. This is proven when Dickinson mentions that “I never lost as much but twice...Twice have I stood a beggar.”(1-4), which shows that she lost a sort of person in her life, perhaps her dad because she turns poor and begs for money. However, in the poem 249 it is about life is good and you should enjoy it. It mentions “Wild Nights should be / Our luxury!”(3-4) which shows that wild nights represents being comfortable and having no regrets, no stress and worries. Throughout some of the poems, like poem 258 where the tone starts as Dickinson is trying to find her personality but then at the end the tone changes to a deep dark tone. Also, in the poems it seems like the tone that Dickinson includes is similar to each other because the tone…
- 748 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays