An Analysis Of Emily Dickinson's Poem Twas

The poem reads as a maritime holdover from one’s childhood, a more naïve stage of life when one could play, build boats, play by the sea and contemplate the immensity of the waters and the world. This poem also refers to the connection between death and freedom that permeates throughout several of Dickinson’s verses; the use of images, objects, and metaphor (“’Twas such a greedy, greedy wave / That licked it from the Coast -”) (lines 5-6) suggest a stage of life that cannot be revisited because it has been taken away forever. Furthermore, the repetition of “’Twas,’” meaning “it was,” underlines the past existence of the little boat, which shall nevermore return.

The playfully descriptive movement of the boat and its open sails in the face

She prefers to think of it in terms of sweetness and flow, as is the case in the poem “Because I could not stop for Death -” (FR 479). In this work, Dickinson dramatizes the role of death as a kind, civil lover who takes her out for a carriage ride toward eternity; Death is no longer the great enemy. The ironic and casual way in which the poet describes the subject’s ride with death seems to suggest an overcoming of the traditional fear and shame that one encounters when dealing with the death of the physical body. Dickinson aids in demystifying the image of Death as an ominous figure of doom, and instead portrays Death as a true gentleman driving a luxurious carriage. Much like the “gallant sea” in “’Twas such a little - little boat”, “Death,” usually rude, sudden, and impersonal, has been transformed into a kindly and leisurely gentleman. Though the lyrical subject is aware that this is the last ride of her life - the “Carriage” is certainly a hearse - the terror of the process is subdued by the “Civility” of the driver who is merely exposing the impossibility of “Immortality.” “The loneliness of the journey,” Anderson proclaims, “is dispelled by the presence of her immortal part that rides with her as a co-passenger.” It is interesting to note that the experience of death and immortality is simultaneous in this journey.

Its symbolic structure is ambiguous, indeterminate, and multiple,” states Kher. Emily Dickinson interpreted death in a multitude of manners; though the body must follow the set path of decomposition, the spirit is revealed as immortal, as ironic, and as a gentleman. Fantastically, she is able to transform life and death, speaking after death (“Because I could not stop for Death -”), at the moment of its onset (“I heard a Fly buzz-when I died-“), while other times it is numbly indescribable (“After great pain, a formal feeling comes”). Even though Protestant influences find their way in the structure and rhythm of the verses, Dickinson’s attitude towards death is slightly different and idiosyncratic, revealing a new, ironic stance in recognition of the process of death as an important but entirely natural phenomenon. As in “Because I could not stop for Death -” Dickinson goes as far as to suggest a flirtation with mortality, which ultimately loses its frightening and desperate character and gains an air of familiarity and naturalness. This can almost be seen as contempt in the face of death and as a radical irreverence towards the unknown. What happens after death is certainly beyond human grasp and knowledge, but death’s obscurity does not deter the poet from discussing the journey of human impermanence. Dickinson considers death a friend whom she has never seen, but she does