Dickinson Poem Analysis

Poem 30: 

ADRIFT! A little boat adrift!
And night is coming down!
Will no one guide a little boat
Unto the nearest town?
So sailors say, on yesterday,
Just as the dusk was brown,
One little boat gave up its strife,
And gurgled down and down.
But angels say, on yesterday,
Just as the dawn was red,
One little boat o’erspent with gales
Retrimmed its masts, redecked its sails
Exultant, onward sped!

Poem 31:

SUMMER for thee grant I may be
When summer days are flown!
Thy music still when whippoorwill
And oriole are done!
For thee to bloom, I ’ll skip the tomb
And sow my blossoms o’er!
Pray gather me, Anemone,
Thy flower forevermore!

Poem 30: This poem shows a tone of optimistic and makes people feel energetic. Dickinson gives a compare of two different types version of thoughts in the same situation. Dickinson shows two different descriptions because of the different thoughts and attitude of them. The sailors say that the little boat gave up and gurgled down and down. But the angels say the little boat retrimmed its masts- redecked its sails and shot- exultant on. This is a epitome of challenges we met in our life. We can be very industrious and happy because of our thoughts although this challenge may seem terrible. But I don’t know why she wrote the first paragraph.

Poem 31: This poem’s tone is very interesting and romantic. This poem shows how a girl wants to get the attention of the man she loves. Summer can give people light and warm, so she wants to become the summer of that man. Music makes people relax and happy, so she also wants to become music around this man. Flowers are beautiful and are always admire and water by people, so she wants to become this man’s flower. Dickinson uses different characterization to show the relationship and thought of the girl and the man she love.

Posted in: Diary