Dimensions of Death in Emily Dickinson’s Selected Poems

Abstract

There has been a lot of researches that studied on the dynamics and dimensions of Death in the poems of Emily Dickinson. However, this paper aims to find further dynamics of death, its course and impact upon general people in contrast to the understanding of the poet. Besides, death appears to be a common topic in several other poets like that of John Donne, William Cullen Bryant and many more. However, this paper aspires to study the core concept of death from the eye of Dickinson and additionally studies the behavior of her inclination towards the subject matter of love, god, war and society as well. Dickinson's poems have varied interpretation of death. Her interpretation reflects her own personal life. Death appears to be something that she wants to the most. To her death is ultimate joy. She finds no living people are happy that is why she wants to meet death. She has weird perception to see death from different angles. Death came to show her in different forms: sometimes in the form of god and angle and sometimes in the form of a bee. She considers death as a victory and not a loss. To die is to win a victory. She does not fear death but stands before it welcoming it with cheer because death is eternity. The only truth in the universe is death and she is always ready to accept that truth. Death though has different dimensions, it says, "I am nobody". Because death is nobody it can take the form of everybody. Dickinson's perception about death is highly meditative in itself. Her reclusive living, meditation upon war of her time and her endeavor to reform the society can be ascertained through her poetry. It can be concluded that, death is a natural phenomenon. It all depends upon individuals how to accept it. Death has multiple dimensions. It can be bitter, agonizing, painful and joyful and blessing at the same time. Whatever the situation may be we have to accept it because the only truth in the world is death. It is undeniable and inevitable.