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.
1 comment:
hey guys i'm not sure how to post so i'll just comment on tk's post.
“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.
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