Tag Archives: emily dickinson save me

The Length of the Letters

Posted on by
Reply

This may be a rather surface-level thought, but when reading for class on Tuesday, I couldn’t help but notice that as we get further into the letter collection and therefore further in time, Dickinson’s letters get noticeably shorter. Not only that, but they also include more phrases and writing that feel reminiscent of poetry rather than prose. This could just be a consequence of Dickinson just getting more involved in her own poetry, so she has less time to write letters, as well as causing poetic writing to become more prominent in her letters. However, I do wonder if there is some other reason for this; is it possible that it is more of a conscious choice that Dickinson made?

Mariele’s Conversation Starter for 3/12

Posted on by
1

I’ll begin with a bit of an anecdote for you:

Last spring break, I traveled to Amherst, MA to visit Emily Dicksinon’s family homestead. In the car, my father said that he knew little-to-nothing about Dickinson despite having read her work in school. Prior to the break, on calls with extended family detailing my plans, I was asked “didn’t Emily Dickinson kill herself?” and “why do you like that creepy, reclusive poet?” This pattern of misinformation surrounding Dickinson was revealing itself within my family despite their relative literary enthusiasm. Naturally, for the rest of my car ride I interrogated my father about how Dickinson had been taught in his schooling. He replied saying that he was taught little to nothing about her life and they read her poems with barely any context. 

Getting more into the literary discussion now…

I’d like to note here that I have a complicated relationship with poets being taught in a biographical way. There is much value to be gained from this approach, but I see it being done in the most heavy-handed way solely to female poets. The digression from the texts themselves to more personal details can be at times voyeuristic in a way I feel begins to ignore the actual poems. Yet, when it comes to Dickinson I cast this notion (and often frustration) completely aside. Learning about Dickinson feels so integral to my enjoyment, comprehension, and appreciation of her work. Is it because I relate to her in some ways? Or perhaps it is a desire to disrupt the formation of Emily Dickinson as an American mythological figure? Regardless, I very much look forward to seeing how reading her poems again after reading her letters will change my reading experience. 

This brings me to my questions: 

  • If you’re new to Emily Dickinson, did you have any misconceptions that have been disproven? Proven?
  • While reading her letters so far, what has been your main focus? Is it the biographical elements or the prose/poems of the letters?
  • Did learning about the notion of the “letter-poem” genre change the way you read the next set of letters for class?
  • What has surprised you the most about reading Dickinson’s letters? 

American Identity in Leaves of Grass (Plus Aaliyah’s History with Walt)

Posted on by
6

Hello!

I have a complicated history with Walt Whitman (and Emily Dickinson for that matter). A teacher in high school formerly introduced them to me, and, in lack of better words, destroyed my perception of both. He was a bad teacher for a variety of reasons, but the main thing that caused the scandal at my school was his racist micro- and macro-aggressions that more or less involved me. Drama! I know, and honestly this resulted in trauma with how I, as a Black and Asian student, function in English classes, even now.

Anyways—why did I take this class?

Well, this previous teacher of mine made me hate Whitman. I didn’t like the idea of someone speaking for all of America in the 1800s, especially in the arrogant and sweeping way he does. And we had begun the many versions of “Song of Myself” like a million times, and my teacher thought he was a Whitman-type poet and teacher himself, yada yada yada. I thought I could leave both Whitman and Dickinson behind.

But it’s hard to be a poet and not encounter both poets. I also am an American Studies double major and am interested in America’s literary history. And my hatred (if I can even call it that) towards them is too entwined with my personal educational history, I’m curious to see them in a different light.

So here I am giving it another try!

And omg I’m learning so much already!!!

In particular, the origins of Leaves of Grass (as seen on the biography page we were assigned to read). I knew some of this background but not the extent the influence of slavery had on Whitman. Then, I realized my initial uncomfortableness with Whitman back in high school may have stemmed from this:

“While most people were lining up on one side or another, Whitman placed himself in that space—sometimes violent, sometimes erotic, always volatile—between master and slave.”

My feelings towards this is complex, and I’m quite curious to read what Black scholars/writers have written on this (especially with the mentions of Langston Hughes and Yusef Komunyakaa at the end of this page).

But I view how he speaks towards a nationalistic identity during this time as both freeing and constricting. Whitman includes the working man, prostitutes, immigrants, the poor and struggling, Black slaves, and Native Americans into America’s story at a time where they are excluded. But he is also framing these people with his own assumptions of what America should be while speaking as and for everyone.

I also know I’m coming towards Whitman and Dickinson with my own bias (clearly). And I don’t live in their context. But all of these things are in my mind as we venture deeper into these literary giants. How do we define American literature or poetry? Who really is the “I” in America?

Best,

Aaliyah A. (she/her)