Emily Dickinson Figurative Language

Emily Dickinson is a self-described "Nobody". Although she wrote thousands of poems, most of them were not published during her lifetime. Born in the 19th century, she was extremely well educated for a woman of her time, and she attended school from primary school up to her first year of college, when she ultimately left for unknown reasons. This allowed her to explore her love of the sciences and nature, especially botany. Despite having many friends, whom she kept in touch with through letters, she became a recluse during her later years, which scholars now suspect was caused by mental conditions such as agoraphobia, depression, or anxiety. However, her years of seclusion led to the creation of hugely imaginative and thought provoking poems.

One type of figurative language that she uses often is hyperbole, such as in “I taste a liquor never brewed”, in which she exaggerates her love of nature by stating, “Inebriate of air—am I–/ And Debauchee of Dew—”(5-6). Her use of hyperbole highlights how wonderful she believes nature is. After all, one cannot really become drunk on air and dew, but the limitless and giddy way one feels while tipsy transfers to how she feels while appreciating the wonders nature. However, hyperboles are not the only kind of figurative language she uses. For example, in “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers”, Emily Dickinson uses several types of figurative language when she compares hope to a songbird, when she writes, “And sore must

Oftentimes, she capitalizes words to make them more important or shift their usual connotations. For instance, in her poem “I’m Nobody! Who are you?”, she infuses new meaning into a word when she exclaims, “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” (1). Ordinarily, the word ‘nobody’ has a negative connotation—after all, most people desire recognition and appreciation. However, Emily Dickinson renounces these desires and celebrates anonymity, which she clearly experienced during her period of reclusion. By capitalizing the word ‘nobody’, she implies that it is just as important as being ‘somebody’ and makes it more of a respectable title than a pitiful description. She views things from a different perspective, which shapes her insightful style. Similarly, in “Success is counted sweetest”, Dickinson gives importance to a concept through capitalization, when she says, “Not one of the purple Host/ Who took the Flag today/ Can tell the definition/ So clear of victory” (5-8). The ‘purple Host’ may refer to a highly ranked army because purple has come to represent royalty or nobility and the word ‘host’ is capitalized, stressing the group’s importance. However, Dickinson implies they do not really know what victory truly feels like despite ‘taking the Flag’, or winning the battle. The emphasis on the word ‘flag’ may represent the material success one may achieve through endless victories, but it does not