(Jones, p. 49). These confessional poems are often "searing in their self-inquiry" and "harrowing to the reader" and typically take their metaphors from texts and paintings of Dickinson's day. Some scholars posit that the "Master" is an unattainable composite figure, "human, with specific characteristics, but godlike." (Jones, p. 49).
Recent scholars have posited that Dickinson saw the mind and spirit as tangible, places and that for much of her life she lived within them. (Juhasz, p. 86-87). Often, this intensely private place is referred to as the "undiscovered continent," embellished with images of nature. (Juhasz, p. 89).
Classifying "Wild nights!" Wild nights!"
"Wild Nights! Wild Nights" must be interpreted with the aid of recurring themes in Dickinson's work. The dominant interpretation of Wild Nights is that it is a sexually-themed poem about lust and desire directed at the recurring "Master," Dickinson's "lover for all eternity." Advocates of this interpretation claim that the line "Might I but moor/Tonight -- in Thee" is an indication of her sexual desire. (10-11; Joly, 2). They also point to the word "luxury," which represents passionate indulgence. (Joly, 2).
However, the sexual interpretation suffers from a glaring flaw. It only accounts for male sexual desire, that of the phallic rowboat dwelling in the sea for the night. It is hard to imagine Dickinson, a female, conceiving of sex from a phallic perspective.
Rather, "Wild Nights! Wild Nights" can be best described as one of Dickinson's "Undiscovered Continent" poems, which deal with the inner world of the mind. The images of water are meant to symbolize the vast, seductive, and often frightening subconscious.
The subconscious is usually accessed during the Rapid Eye Movement phase of sleep, during dreams. As we usually sleep and dream at night, the reference to "Wild Nights" and "To-Night" is made clear. The title "Wild Nights! Wild Nights!" evokes the excitement of an exhilarating dream. Perhaps it was a type of dream that Dickinson had only once...
Emily Dickinson The writer whose work I admire and most influences my work is Emily Dickinson. She was a reclusive person, having returned from school at age 18 and from that point on, spending most of her time in her home by herself. There have been many hypotheses about Emily having an unidentified lover, but none have been proven. Her poems, however, are filled with the longing, love, passion, loss and
Station of the Metro by Ezra Pound and My Father's Waltz by Theodore Roethke Ezra Pound's poem In the Station of the Metro and Theodore Roethke's poem My Father's Waltz both reflect the darker side of human nature. Though these works paint a very different picture, they each allude to the desperate conditions that we all face from time to time as human beings. Pound's poem compares faces in the crowd
Simile -- A common device in poetry is the use of comparisons, often comparing something unusual or uncommon with something that is more familiar to the reader or audience. One kind of comparison is the simile, which uses the words like or as and compares two things that are dissimilar in order to bring about a fresh view and new meaning. An example of a simile that does this is found
Death in Thomas and Dickinson In many ways, Dylan Thomas' "Do not go gentle into that good night" and Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for death" are ideal texts to consider when attempting to examine human beings anxieties regarding death, dying, and the longing for permanence, because they make vastly different points in strikingly similar ways. That is to say, while they share some elements of form, style, and
Thomas-Dickinson Perspectives of Death "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" is one of Dylan Thomas's most recognized poems. In the poem, he urges his father to fight against death even though it is something that everyone must at some point in his or her lives have to accept. On the other hand, Emily Dickinson, in "Because I could not stop for Death," accepts death as a natural part of
In "Do not go gentle into that good night," Thomas argues that "old age should burn and rave at close of day," implying that individuals should not give in to death easily (Thomas line 2). In order to prove his point, and convince his father to fight for his life, Thomas provides various examples of men from all walks of life, who regardless of their past fought to live
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now