Ironic Sensibility in Emily Dickinson's Poetry

Abstract

The dissertation entitled "Ironic Sensibility in Dickinson's Poetry" concerns with the poetry by the nineteenth century American poet, Emily Dickinson. Her poetry exposes scornful attitude towards patriarchy and orthodox religion prevalent during her time. On the one hand, she directs an increasingly mocking anger at those who take insanity to be sanity. On the other hand, she dismantles the system of conformity by being ironic. Her poems generally meditate upon death and play with faith but particularly echo the silent protest. In considering her poetic presentation, Dickinson doesnot foreground herself as furiously rebellious and nihilistic; rather she turns out to be silent. That's why, she admits her secluded life. However, beneath this silence, passivity and surrender to majority, she sets the questioning of religious values and the institutions of patriarchy as well. Dickinson's questioning attitude manifests itself in terms of ambiguous images, contrastive emotions and ambivalent relation of self to other. In one way or the other, she continues her complacent life to mock at prevailing claims and privileged truths. She cuts off her relation to society and people so as to reconstruct and reform, and sacrifices herself so as to rejuvenate life and freedom.