Emily Dickinson

Before I took a poetry class, I had little understanding of the complexity of poems.  I always thought that if it sounded pretty enough then it was considered a good poem.  Now, I see that there are many components that go into writing just one poem.  Because poems are so compact and dense, each line can carry as much weight as a whole essay.  The process of writing a poem is meticulous and difficult at times, so it amazes me how Dickinson wrote so well.  Her poems have the lyrical quality to them but they also have deeper meanings.

  Most of Dickinson's poems seem to be about death.  "Because I Could not Stop for Death" is a poem about dying and death. The first two lines of the poem are my favorite. It reads, "Because I could not stop for Death / He kindly stopped for me."  I think these lines have a powerful message in them.  Death, who is personified, not only waits for her (most likely Dickinson) but he stops.  It's as though even Death could not keep Dickinson dead.  In a way, she has lived on , as many writers do, because of her writing.  I thought it was perceptive of her to think Death could not stop her.  I think she knew, in some way, that her writing would live past her.  The way she personifies Death is also interesting.  Death seems to be kind and civil.  This differs from the usual depiction of black hooded figure with a scythe. Perhaps Dickinson was saying that Death is not something to fear.  Many have portrayed Death as something fearsome and scary, but Dickinson has decided that Death is kind. It seems true that authors and poets do not become immortal until they die.  There's this irony of being alive after death.

"I heard a Fly Buzz" is also another one of her famous poems. It's also about death surprise!  Anyways, it goes through the thoughts of someone who's about to die.  In their last moments, all they focus on is this one insignificant fly.  Flies have been a source of nuisance for me.  When they buzz at night when I'm trying to sleep, I make it my mission to whack it with my shoe.  In any case, the narrator says that everyone has cried and he has given away his property, but at the absolute last moment, there's this fly.  This fly is the last thing the narrator sees before he/she closes their eyes.  It becomes a symbol of life and death.  On one hand, it makes noises and it's something that has life inside of it.  On the other hand, it comes in between the narrator and the light.  It is also a reminder of what will be there after the narrator dies.
What impressed me most about this poem was it's rhythm and structure. It changes between 6 and 8 syllables in each line mimicking a pattern, in this case, life and death.  Dickinson's use of structure to make the poem resonate more is impressive.  Her use of form is fantastic.

I had one question that I noticed when reading the poems.  I always thought the first lines of these poems were the official titles of the poem, but it seems not the case.  I wonder why Dickinson did not title her work because titles are important and they can be used to enhance the poem.
Overall, Dickinson is one of my favorite poets in terms of structure and rhythm.