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A Poem and a Loaded Gun
The post civil war era was wrought with sexism and backwards thinking. Emily Dickinson was born in 1830, wrote 1800 poems in her lifetime. She has become known for unfolding the social boundaries surrounding women in this time period. Most of her life was shrouded in seclusion and mystery. In the realm of poetry, authors are creative with their usage of literary techniques in order to illustrate their point of view to the reader. Emily Dickinson is especially known for her precise diction, powerful imagery, and obscure timing or rhythm. In her poem “My life had stood – A loaded Gun,” she is heavily dependant on the use of images, eloquent diction and tone to convey both the literal and symbolic meaning or themes to the reader.
The author’s use of certain images is important to the theme of the poem because they define the setting and they set the mood for the different parts of the poem. The first image introduced to the reader is that of the loaded gun. This is one of the most powerful images throughout the poem as it is, as we find, out also the speaker. A the first thing that is brought to the readers mind is the aurora of potential. The sheer potential for destruction and death that is associated with a loaded gun sets the mood for the rest of the poem to build from. The next image that is introduced is that of the “Corners.” This can be understood in multiple contexts. The first being a crossroads, a corner is an intersection between two walls or metaphorically two paths. The second interpretation is that of a dark and shadowy place for someone to lye in wait. Both of the interpretations are equally significant and the authors diction here was surely intentional. This image is particularly important because it defines the opening setting of the speaker. The following images such as “Sovereign Woods,” “Doe,” and “Mountains” serve to change the setting. In the next stanza images such as “cordial light,” “valley glow,” and “Vesuvian face” serve to change the mood to an eerie almost frightening allusion to power. The next images “Yellow Eye,” and “emphatic Thumb” are incorporated into the poem to further the setting of this mood.
The author’s diction and tone in the second stanza move the poem thematically forward by building rhythm. This cha...
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... the gun speaks “for” the master, which is to say she perceives her function as an extension of his power: his will and figuratively, his voice.” The paradox here is that the speakers role is not feminine at all, it is almost the dominant figure serving as the protector and the one who does the killing, yet she is still the possessed or owned item in the relationship. This conflict is resolved in the last stanza with the speakers final words. She declares her independence and singularity from her master with the realization that she has the power to die. She says “for I have but the power to kill, without – the power to die –,” or “I would only have the power to kill, if I did not have the power to die.” By this statement she affirms her own significance even though her only true act of autonomy is her own death.
Works Cited
1. Rich, Adrienne Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson
2. Miller, Chistanne: Dickinson and the Boundaries of Feminist Theory; 1991
3. Gelpi, Albert; Emily Dickinson and the Deerslayer: The dilemma of the Woman Poet in America; 1979
4. Yukman Claudia; Breaking the Eschatological Frame: Dickinson’s Narrative Acts; 1992
The essence of this poem is the author’s mastery of sound and rhythm and his excellent use of figurative language. Richard Wilbur purposely chose words that have few a syllables and require little to no change in mouth size and tongue movements to appease to the reader when read aloud. There is an ABAB rhythm scheme
In Emily Dickinson’s dramatic monolog “My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun,” a journey of a spiritual awakening is expressed. Dickinson writes about how a child of God is found then goes out to find other lost souls. Literary Critic Gregory Palmerino indicates “‘My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun’ maybe Dickinson’s most expansive poem if not her magnum opus, yet I do believe there is a discernible meaning – a center – to be found there. That center is her struggle with God” (84). Dickinson develops her poem using sound, symbolism, and figurative language.
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the years once I left home and realize that in life I will have to deal with people and have to
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