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and
Emily
Dickinson
Edgar Allen Poe and Emily Dickinson, who are
arguably the two largest names in American Literature, appear to have the least
in common. While the first one tends to
focus on death, horror and psychological disturbance, the latter sings
transcendentalist songs of her garden and her heart. What could be more diverse? However, after a closer look to their poetry,
one may perceive that are some similarities between the two. By examining the writing and content of the
poetry of Poe and Dickinson, perhaps a bridge can be built between these
literature superstars.
Beginning with the technicality of their poems,
Poe and Dickinson appear to prefer a structured writing scheme to, say, the
more loose and modern writings of Walt Whitman.
Edgar Allen Poe readily admits his meticulous format of poetry in The Philosophy of Composition, and his
work is also a steady proof that was not composed “by a species of fine
frenzy—an ecstatic intuition” [Parker 906].
All of his poems are a good example of this, such as “The Sleeper” that
begins,
“At midnight, in the month of June,
I stand beneath the mystic moon.
An opiate vapor, dewy, dim,
Exhales from out her golden rim,
And, softly dripping, drop by drop,
Upon the quiet mountain top,
Steals drowsily and musically
Into the universal valley” [847].
Emily Dickinson clearly demonstrates much
thought in her poetry as well, and her patterns of writing tend to flow with
her train of thought. One example of her
more “traditional” poetry is called “341” that starts with,
“After
great pain, a formal feeling comes—
The
Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs—
The
stiff Heart questions was it He, that bore,
And
Yesterday, or Centuries before?” [Parker 1958].
Other works, such as “249” about wild nights,
show a more fluid and energetic side to Dickinson’s genius. Though these may seem unstructured at first,
one may eventually discover meaning and a wild rhythm, which Dickinson
adamantly adheres to through the poem.
Then,
Poe and Dickinson are very economical in their work, and both poets appear to
be very modern with their sharp and poignant phrases. They present so many ideas in such a short
period of time that it is difficult to pinpoint their writings as done by eccentrics
or utter geniuses. One particular poem
of Emily Dickinson, which might have taken Ralph Waldo Emerson or Thoreau pages
to communicate, is “1129.” Her work reads,
“Tell
all the Truth but tell it slant—
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth’s superb surprise
As Lightening to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—” [Parker 1970].
Edgar Allan Poe also writes works of
particular depth in relatively short lines.
One of his smaller poems, “Sonnet—Silence,” is quite comparable as Poe
writes,
“There
is a two-fold Silence—sea and shore—
Body and soul. One dwells in lonely places,
Newly with grass o’vergrown; some solemn graces,
Some human memories and tearful lore,
Render him terrorless: his name’s “No More””
[852].
Last but not least, Poe and Dickinson both use
death, yet they approach the subject in different tones. The first, Poe, is infamous for death in his
short-stories, and this topic is also essential in the plot of his poetry, such
as “Lenore,” “To Helen,” “The City in the Sea,” and “The Raven” among others. His tone regarding death is somber,
fantastic, wild, and a mixture of heartbreak with insanity. One of his more fantastical and lighter
works, “Annabel Lee,” is also soured by this obsession as he writes,
“The
angels, not so happy in Heaven,
Went
envying her and me—
Yes!
that was the reason (as all men know,
In
this kingdom by the sea)
That
the wind came out of the cloud, chilling
And
killing my Annabel Lee” [Parker 861].
To compare, at least in the works so far
encountered, Emily Dickinson mentioned death often as well. Her tone in death differs from Poe as death
serves as the environment for her work, or an action that occurs during the
poem. Her poem “465” combines the theme
of dying with an eccentric idea, and it begins as,
“I
heard a Fly buzz—when I died—
The
Stillness in the Room
Was
like the Stillness in the Air—
Between
the Heaves of Storm—“ [1960].
In conclusion, Poe and Dickinson have much more
in common than I ever imagined before attending the Literature 215 class. I cannot decide on which is my favorite
writer, however. Both authors, in their
poetry, are generally economical with their words, and they follow a rather
structured scheme. Then, while Poe and
Dickinson tend to focus on death, they perceive the end of life through
different lens. Thus, I enjoy peering
through both views, and I now indubitably understand why Poe and
Dickinson are so popular.
Cite:
Perkins, George B., and Barbara Perkins. The American Tradition in Literature.
12th ed. Vol. 1. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.