I Died for Beauty

What notions of belonging are explored in the poem? How are they conveyed?

True belonging comes from shared values
Although many claim to belong, in order to truly belong, one must not feel the need to compromise their values. In the poem, we can see that the man and the woman share the commonality of having died for similar causes – the woman for beauty and the man for truth. This is depicted through the yearning tone of the line “We bretheren are”, which suggests a longing by the man to belong to another who has also sacrificed themselves for their values. Although both refuse to compromise their values, it is this very reason that they ultimately find each other and develop a relationship providing them with a sense of belonging.

? Belonging involves some degree of a loss of identity ?
In the second stanza of the poem, it is clear that both the man and the woman feel a sense of belonging, however this is gradually cut short in the last stanza, where both are finally silenced. Dickinson’s reference to nature in the line “Until the moss had reached our lips/And covered up our names” suggests that just like the inevitable nature of the growth of moss has covered their tombstones, the perceived sense of belonging has inevitably led to a loss of their identity.

Helen

I had been hungry all the years

The concept of belonging in this poem can be seen through Dickinson's metaphoric expression of "hungry" as her desire for people to accept her art (poetry) and herself as it is.
With the poem describing and contrasting her detailed emotions of being metaphorically very hungry outside the window ie) desperately desiring for the acceptance of herself and her poetry, and also having the food infront of her inside the room of the window ie) finally belonging through people's acceptance of her art, reveals her opinion that once she belongs, her great passion and desire for her poetry would disappear - just like the emotion of having "plenty of food" thus being not hungry.

This poem explores the concept belonging and being accepted through her poetry, and also the idea that as she perceives her poetry is not accepted in her current society, this hunger and desire for acceptance is the motivation for her to write her art. This idea can be seen in the contrast of the lines in the poem.
"I looked in windows for the wealth I could not hope for mine" uses the personal pronoun "I" for the beginning of each line to convey the desperation the persona feels to be inside the room with the wealth of food. However this hunger is contrasted with the line "As berry of a mountain bush Transplanted to the road" which uses emjambment to give a sense of oddness and how much the persona feels out of place once she is with the wealth of the food.

Simply and personally, i think that Dickinson may be expressing her thought that
-once i feel that i belong and that people have accepted my art (poetry) , i might lose my desire and motivation in holding onto my values and art. So maybe belonging/acceptance isn't the key into standing for my art and values as it may be the key and trigger in actually losing them.

From Prachi

“I Died for beauty but was scarce”

The poem aims to explore the notions of belonging and feelings associated with dignified acceptance through a varied style and form. Dickinson discusses the issue of belonging by commenting on the journey of two individuals who have spent the entirety of their life in search for acceptance and understanding. She uses death as a meeting place for the two as a means of conveying immortality however ironically they are forgotten as “the moss had...covered up our names”. Here she adds a taste of her omnipresent wry humour. Death, being a major issue in her life, allows Dickinson to reflect on personal issues which makes her poetry slightly more intimate. This is engaging as the audience feels a closer connection with the poet and therefore grows a stronger understating with the text.

Her choice of diction in “Adjusting in the tomb,” emphasises ones struggles to continually belong to a particular place or group. The fact that the dead are still trying to figure out a way to fit in to certain areas that they do not belong highlights the strong desire of the individual to belong however also shows that true belonging will never be achieved through compromise. The scarification of one’s values and beliefs does not ensure that that individual will completely belong and by continuing to ‘adjust’ the individual may have lost its own sense of identity.

I died for beauty but was scarce .

Hello ! As ms race mentioned today, its scary putting your work out for everyone to read! :) & sorry in advance if this is wrong/doesn't make sense.

It can be perceived that the poem's major theme is the idea of compromising for belonging. Dickinson at first creates the idea to her reader that belonging is an achievement or success for the individual. This is seen in "He questioned softly why I failed?"; the choice of language in 'failed' suggests to the reader that exclusion is almost the wrong pathway emphasised by the soft tone to create remorse by the persona. However it is later revealed that exclusion is more so a choice of the individual rather than result, and in this choice comes 'belonging'. This resultant belonging is expressed by the change in personal pronouns from "I" to "we" and language such as "kinsmen" which is a word associated with comfort and the company of others.

Another perception is the idea that perhaps Dickinson is conveying to her readers that belonging may exceed the physical barriers of life and death and forever be a metaphysical concept to humanity. This could be suggested from "And covered up our names." 'names' being symbolic of their identities conveys that although they had passed the physical barriers, they were still disregarded by Nature and did not belong to the values of society; even though they 'died for beauty' in hope to be appreciated.

I died for beauty but was scarce...

Concept: This poem may convey a sense of belonging to family. 

Analysis:

"One who died for truth was lain/ In an adjoining room"

- Traditionally, family groups were often buried in the same tomb. This metaphorical/physical depiction of an adjoining room may suggest that the two characters may have had some relation, suggesting that belonging to family persists even after death.

"We brethren are... as kinsmen met a night"

- The use of familial terms strongly conveys a sense of belonging to family.

Concept: In order to achieve true belonging, something must be sacrificed in regards to one's "critical values"

Analysis:

"I died for beauty... When one who died for truth"

- The metaphorical use of death highlights a sacrifice made in regards to their critical values. By remaining a martyr through and through, they have perhaps lost their ability to advocate their critical values, as they are "metaphorically" dead.

This loss in ability to advocate what is important to them can be seen as the sacrifice.

- However, this is resolved to an extent, as through sacrificing their ability to advocate their critical values, both characters have found one another, who seem to have a similar situation. In this sense, they have a true belonging to each other as they both "failed" for essentially the same reason and hence, can understand each other.

Not Emily Dickinson, but Roald Dahl "Yesterday Was Beautiful"

Belonging conceptual analysis

Concept 1: Approach A

Trauma can cause a sense of not belonging to one’s self, family and place.

The traumatic experience in Dahl’s Yesterday Was Beautiful is reflective of the German bombing of Greece projected through the nostalgia of the disconnection that war can lead to. Consequently, this reveals that trauma can cause a sense of not belonging to one’s self, family and place. Thus, the persona in the story moves from the physical to the metaphysical world where war has transformed him into an old man who does not perceive he to be the person he is in the present. Dahl reveals a sense of not belonging through the progression of understanding to empathy, which transcends as a relationship between the responder and the main character. This evident in the nostalgic approach

The old man looked up slowly, turning his head but not moving his shoulders…He looked at the pilot and he was like a blind man who looks towards something but does not see.

The sense of not belonging is emphasised through the simile, which reveals that the man is detached from himself, his surroundings and his state of mind. The use of past tense builds a relationship with the responders allowing them to perhaps perceive the sense of not belonging in Joannis Sparkis life. Further by delving into this dissatisfaction, the responder may correspond to this feeling in their own lives. Thus, the experience of not belonging enables Dahl to understand how a traumatic event can cause different perceptions of oneself, which can lead to disunity internally, which causes the external sense of alienation to family and place to follow.

Concept 2: Approach B

Time can cause change to perceptions of one self

The perception of one’s self corresponds to the personal, cultural, social and historical context one is exposed to. In order to belong, perhaps one must find one’s self, and then ideally belong to other groups such as family, common interest groups and places. However, time or progression can cause change to perceptions of one self, from not belonging to belonging and from belonging to not belonging. Dahl’s historical setting emphasizes this sense of time; further the events of World War II influence the changes in personal, cultural, social and historical context that cause Joannis Sparkis to perceive hi self differently. ‘The name seemed to have a significance for the old man and he smiled’, the foreboding tone and use of third person portrays that time can change the perception of oneself. The third person reveals the disunity between Joannis Spark is, highlighting that one’s changing context can have influence on one’s perception of self. By viewing himself in the third person, he has revealed that he has two identities that cannot forge together into one identity due to the trauma and event of World War II. He does not belong to himself anymore, and thus has perceived himself differently. This perhaps is further alluded to by the title ‘Yesterday was beautiful’, the past tense arguably reveals that when one belonged it was wonderful, but now it is a disunified, disconnected and alienated place where belonging does not flourish, it lingers in the air in a sense of limbo. The perception of oneself can change due to the nature of time. Time can bring changes to our cultural, social, historical and personal context which can alter our perceptions on belonging to one’s self.

Concept 3: Approach C- Approach A + Approach B

The temporal nature of existence

Temporal existence signifies each individual’s universal belonging to each other. Death is inevitable. Dahl explores this sense of belonging by highlighting the futility of war. ‘There’s no one here’, the simplistic style reveals this notion of belonging. Further, the references to death of his daughter, conveys how each individual perceives death in relation to their context (social, historical, personal and political).

It is just something that you should remember.’ The pilot stood on the road waiting. ‘Maria. Her name was Maria.’

The nostalgia creates feeling that when Maria, died Joannis lost apart of himself. Although we belong temporally when those who we belong to, or who belong to apart of us depart we can feel disorientated and isolated. There repetition of the name ‘Maria’ further emphasises this notion. The nature of death is also perceived differently later on,

‘Kill them all,’ she said softly. ‘Go and kill every man and every woman and baby. Do you hear me, Inglesus? You must kill them all.’ The little brown ball of paper became smaller and more screwed up. ‘The first one I see I shall kill.’ She paused.

The imperative tone portrays the need for death, in order for the wife to feel a sense of belonging, after war and the death of her daughter has caused isolation and depression. The dialogue ‘the first one I shall see I shall kill’ reveals to the responders that death is really temporal and random, but the message that arises is when someone who we love dearly dies we can progress into a state of limbo, of alienation. This is the fundamental aspect of belonging via the universality of the temporal nature of existence; someone will experience this loss of belonging. But its universality arises from its circumstantial nature. Loss of belonging through finally belonging to each individual can be tough, but it allows for each individual to challenge the perception of each self and in the process enrich ourselves. Therefore, perceiving ourselves in new ways, individual to our own experiences.

Ramble Ramble Ramble

(I Died for Beauty, but Beauty was scarce)

The poem seems to explore the consequences of standing by the personal values that mean the most to you. (Often, I would postulate that they would be privately held values) The persona "Died for Beauty" a line that can be metaphorically interpreted as meaning that the persona did not sacrifice their critical value(s). The persona awakens to find someone who has also staunchly supported their own critical value(s). Having both stuck to their values, they feel a connection, represented by strong (nouns?) "Kinsman" and "brethren". The fact that they have died or failed could be a metaphorical allusion to a sacrifice the characters have made due to their uncompromising abilities - which in this instance would presumably be the ability to belong in society.

HOWEVER, it may instead be seen as a penalty that has not yet been paid - that is, to cross the floor from not belonging to belonging, a sacrifice (represented by the "death") must be paid. Perhaps, this would take the form of a compromise, not in the core values held so tightly, but in other strong, yet not critical, values. After having "died" - ie paid their penalty and sacrificed some of the lesser values, they have the ability to belong. Having not sacrificed their critical values, they can feel positive about belonging, in that it does not compromise them in an unreasonable fashion. It is possible that it is the sacrifice itself which allows the characters to find common ground, which could be supported by the fact that they had to: Die before exchanging dialogue when "He questioned softly why I failed?" Or, perhaps, it allows the belonging to take place later, which could be suggested by the fact that they were buried separately. Perhaps still, it could suggest that the characters are more likely to converse and realise their commonality having made their sacrifice prior to meeting.

One could argue that Dickinson suggests that if you stick to your values, eventually, you will find someone who does the same, and you can truly belong. (Presumably Dickinson executed this technique with great skill from within her house... [Obvious Sarcasm])

But, that would be a rather naive and optimistic view to purport. It also ignores the significance of the death - which, has been suggested to represent a sacrifice of some sort. So, rather, Dickinson is more likely suggesting that there is no such thing as belonging without sacrifice. She warns however, that sacrifices should not be total and unconditional - and that to be completely comfortable, you must not sacrifice your most critical value(s) - even if the result of that is that belonging be denied of several occasions. In this sense, true belonging is not one when no sacrifices were necessary, but one where the sacrifices that were (inevitably and unavoidably) necessary could be made without violating the critical defining value(s) - and that the sacrifices could be made comfortably, without regret, sorrow or remorse.

TL;DR:

Either you make a compromise that does not forsake your critical values and you subsequently belong - OR - maintain all of your values and remain isolated, alienated, alone and NOT belonging.

i died for beauty but was scarce

This poem explores the concept of belonging transcending death by using the Romantic idea of death as the ultimate disconnect but ironically there is the possibility of unity amongst the two personas showing Dickenson's challenging of certain Romantic notions causing a lack of belonging on her part. The use of the word lain in "when one who died for truth was lain" expresses a tone of admiration towards someone who has also died for their values, connecting the two personas. A dash is strategically placed before "the two are one" to emphasise the importance of this line showing the male persona's acceptance of the narrator by connecting their values.

'I died for beauty but was scarce'

Please note that the following post is my perception and remains MY perception, as such sweet class-men/women, Judge tenderly of me !

Belonging:
The beginning line,"I died for beauty, but was scarce", suggests that the persona refused to give up beauty (as we have discussed in class it is a symbolism for Art/poetry) which is limited and "scarce". It may be to reveal that it is the most important value of the persona and is maintained until death. This to a moderate extent reveals that the persona does not desire to belong by compromising and forfeiting their treasured value, in this case the beauty(art). The use of rhetorical question in the line,"He questioned softly why I failed?", engages the reader and allow the time for self reflection of the ideas presented in the first stanza. The "failed" may also be to symbolise the persona's inadequacy to reach a sense of belonging. However, in the later lines, "the two are one; We brethren are", suggests that through sustaining of one's value, at some point individuals will reach a state of harmony. But in the final stanza this idea is challenged through the symbolism in the lines, "until the moss had reached our lips, And covered up our names". The line, "moss had reached our lips", suggests that attachment through shared values and not compromisation does not advance as the "moss" will reach their lips. This would soon cover up the "name" and identity of the individuals and as a result bring a conclusion to the individual's existence.(eg: death/ denial of belonging)

It should be noted that in order to acheive a sense of belonging it is inevitable to sacrifice a part of individuality to allow compromisation between individuals. This would create somewhat of a mutual understanding between the individuals and is what would enable them to experience a sense of belonging and acceptance. The desire to maintain the important individual value can been seen as hubris and what ultimately prevents acceptance. It can also suggest the notion of fear of rejection by others which lead to self-isolation and the failure to obtain a sense of belonging. The impression of obtaining "true-belonging" from shared values causes individuals to uphold their values which may lead to conflict or death. This consequently restricts individuals from permeating and denies the possibilities for innovation and change in union.

I died for beauty but was scarce

This poem uses Emily Dickinson's context to explore the concept of belonging seeing as she herself died for beauty.

It is suggested that the speaker did not compromise before his/her death however after being buried, he/she is able to develop a kinship with a fellow corpse... They talk into the night 'Until the moss had reached our lips', the word 'moss' may be symbolic of nature that they were consumed by before their death leaving them to become silent. This metaphor emphasises the suffering both speakers experienced for standing by their Art and integrity, however, in the end it is suggested that they are forgotten for the moss had covered up their names which represents their existence as unimportant to the society they had once lived in.

I died for beauty

Hello people=) I just did a little analysis sort of. Well i do kinda talk about death, but really i tried to avoid as much as possible (after today's incident!) Well, hope this helps!

Some random bit-Dickinson's poem is an allegorical death fantasy and resembles Keat's Ode on a Grecian Urn, however the matter of presentation is completely her own style. Dickinson incorporates a sense of macabre physicality of death, high idealism of martyrdom and a yearning fot Platonic companionship. This poem conveys both notions of alienation and belonging.

Alienation:
The poem conveys the persona's yearning to belong through the persona seeking companionship but this gives way to the moss that creeps up the speaker's corpse as seen in "Until the moss had reached our lips, & covered up our names". Here, the moss obliterates the persona's capacity to speak who ultimately losses their identity through the symbolic verbatim "Covered up our names". The sounds of the poem with the alliteration of "f" sounds in "softly why I failed" and the "m" and "n" sounds of the last stanza create a calm an soothing atmosphere, which helps relieve the sad suggestion that in time their stand for truth and beauty, and they themselves will be forgotten.

Belonging:
The proximity of the headstones show that the two speakers belong together. This is further supporte by the change in use of personal pronoun "I" to "we" as the poem progresses conveys that the persona belongs as seen in "We brethren are" where truth and beauty are personified as brothers. Furthermore, alhtough both beauty and truth symbolically lose their identity evident through "covered up our names" they belong together as they both lose identity together and therefore belongign transcends death.

"I died for beauty but was scarce'

The persona describes her transition from alienation to belonging through death. The poem, initially, includes personal pronouns such as "I". This supports the notion of the concept of not belonging. However, as the poem progresses, the personal pronouns shift to an inclusive tone. That is, it uses pronouns such as "we" and "our". This displays the sense of belonging both characters experience. Furthermore, the line "we brethren are" exemplifies how both characters are both gaining acceptance from one another by not belonging individually in their own worlds.

In addition, the concept of belonging is shadowed by a loss of individual identity and uniqueness. This is evident in the line "moss had reached our lips,/And covered up our names." This line displays how to belong one must forfeit their values and ideals to conform and gain acceptance from a group. However, both characters in this poem have not given up their values and as a result have suffered dire consequences. Though this is the case, both the characters have, in death, have gained acceptance from one another and thus have experienced belonging in one form. Ultimately, this has lead to their deaths and a loss of identity.

Kanashya.T & Pallavi.M

Why hello there!

In Emily Dickinson's This is my Letter to the World, Dickinson portrays a desire for acceptance and connection. The physical and natural world created provides a sanction for the persona to belong. Dickinson's connection to Nature can be seen through her emphasis of Nature with the use of capitalisation in, "The simple news that Nature told."

When Dickinson writes, "that never (the world) wrote to me,--" a caesura is used to disrupt the general flow of the poem which shows her detachment from society and her awareness of her isolation.

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Guidelines for Reading Dickinson's Poetry


http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/dickpoems.html



1. Speaker. Who is the speaker? What person (first, second, third) is ED speaking in? If it is the first person plural, with whom has she aligned herself? To whom is the poem addressed?

2. Setting or Situation. What is the setting? Real? Abstract? What about the situation? Is there action in the poem? What is it?

3. What are the verbs? What is their tense? Their mood (indicative, subjunctive, interrogative)? In what ways does their syntax vary from what you expect? Are any of them archaic or unusual?

4. What is the form of the poem? Closed? Open? What is the meter? the rhyme scheme? Where does ED depart from these patterns and forms? Why?

Dickinson is noted for her use of special kinds of rhyme. Where does she use the following, and for what effect?
a. slant rhyme: a kind of consonance (relation between words in which the final consonants in the stressed syllables agree but the vowels that precede them differ: add/read, up/step, peer/pare, while/hill).
b. eye rhyme: rhyme that appears correct from the spelling but is not so from the pronunciation, such as watch/match, love/move, through/enough.

c. true rhyme: identity of terminal sound between accented syllables, usually occupying corresponding positions in two or more lines of verse. The correspondence of sound is based on the vowels and succeeding consonants of the accented syllables, which must, for a true rhyme, be preceded by different consonants. Thus "fan" and "ran" constitute a true rhyme because the vowel and succeeding consonant sounds ("an") are the same but the preceding consonant sounds are different.

6. What elements are repeated? Inverted? Why? What instances of repetition does she use? What is the effect of the repetition?
7. What figures of speech does the poem contain? metaphor? metonymy? synecdoche? personification? extended metaphor? What kind of figure does she use as a comparison (vehicle)? Where has she used this before and with what kinds of meaning or resonance?

8. What kinds of images does she use? olfactory? tactile? visual? auditory? thermal? Characteristic Dickinson images include patterns of light/dark, bee/flower, mind/body, life/death. Do these occur here? In what combination?

9. Does the poem have an effective, striking, or climactic moment? Does it come to some kind of resolution? What kind? What recognition does the speaker's persona achieve, or does the poem chronicle simple description and observation?

10. Tone. What is the tone of the whole? Solemn? Playful? Irreverent? Mournful? Objective? What is Dickinson trying to convey?

11. Tradition. In what ways does she allude to other works or poetic traditions? In what ways might this poem be an "answer" to another author?

12. Rhetorical figures. Where does Dickinson use paradox? hyperbole? anaphora? apostrophe? litotes? Why does she use them?

13. Language. Note any words that are used in an archaic, special, or unusual way, especially words of three syllables or more. (These are less common in Dickinson's work than one- and two-syllable words.) Look them up in the dictionary, being careful to note obsolete or secondary meanings as well as primary ones.