Emily Dickinson And 324 Comparison

Emily Dickinson’s two poems, 280 and 324 are similar in many ways but also very different in other ways. Poem 280 starts off by using a lot of sensory imagery as someone is imagining a funeral. It is not quite clear whether this funeral is representative of someone Dickinson knew or a figurative funeral that might represent something in the mind of Dickinson. Something was disturbing the funeral as Dickinson notes that, “A Service, like a Drum – kept beating – beating – till I thought my mind was going numb” (6). This poem is very strange because some things seem out of place such as a drum beating in the middle of a funeral. Perhaps, the drum represents symbolizes something else such as a heart that is beating. Dickinson seems to be even

This poem suggests that Dickinson liked to worship God but in her own way. Dickinson writes in her poem, “Some keep the Sabbath going to Church – I keep it, staying at Home” (1). This line suggests that even though Dickinson might not go to church she still is worshiping God in her own way. Even though it is considered a sin to not go to Church, Dickinson thinks that her way of worshiping is just fine. Perhaps, Dickinson gets more out of worshiping God in the comfort of her home than in a building filled with other people at church. This is evident because Dickinson seems to poke fun at the people who attend church with the line, “Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice- I just wear my Wings” (5). This line from the poem indicates that Dickinson’s way of worshiping is much simpler and maybe more effective in her opinion. At the end of the poem it mentions that Dickinson is going somewhere that might be a place other than heaven as she writes, “So instead of getting to Heaven, at last – I’m going, all along” (11). This last line of the poem indicates that Dickinson might realize that her not attending church will not get her in to heaven, although she seems to be calm and content with