Essay about Emily Dickinsons Use of Humor and Irony

Emily Dickinsons Use of Humor and Irony While much of Emily Dickinsons poetry has been described as sad or morose, the poetess did use humor and irony in many of her poems. This essay will address the humor and/ or irony found in five of Dickinsons poems: Faith is a Fine Invention, Im Nobody! Who are you?, Some keep the Sabbath Going to Church and Success Is Counted Sweetest. The attempt will be made to show how Dickinson used humor and / or irony for the dual purposes of comic relief and to stress an idea or conclusion about her life and environment expressed by the poetess in the respective poem. The most humorous or ironic are some of the shorter poems, such as the four lined stanzas of Faith is a Fine Invention and†¦show more content†¦This poem may be partially auto-biographical in nature. Dickinson made few attempts during her life to be taken as more than an armature poetess. On one occasion, she sent a collection of her poems to a correspondent who was also a published poet. His criticism of the poems deva stated Dickinson, and she never made another attempt towards publishing her works. In Success..., Dickinson reflects on the nature of success and how, ironically, it can be best appreciated and understood by those who have not achieved it and have no taste of it. As in Faith..., Dickinson powerfully presents her thoughts in a few lines. The poem deals only with one, ironic but universal, idea in its short length. It is the bitterness expressed at this irony (as found it Dickinsons juxtaposition of the words sweetest and sorest, separated by two lines) that is most felt by the reader. While the previous poem expresses the poetess bitterness and sorrow with one aspect of her life, Im Nobody! Who Are You? uses humor without irony to address another. In this poem, Dickinson style appears almost child-like in its of descriptions including frogs and bogs, as well as the lively energy expressed by the poem through its use of dashes and brief wording. Dickinson seems to be addressing her spinster, hermit-like existence (Im Nobody) and her preference to it. The poetess seems to relate that her situation has not leftShow MoreRelated Billy Collins Essay1517 Words   |  7 Pagesillustrates a profound understanding through a clear observation. His writing style blends humor and solemnity in one entity. Throughout his poetry, Collins demonstrates, in a witty and satirical voice, his insightfulness towards the objects, using numerous poetic devices, especially allusions and metaphors to effectively convey his messages, most of which revolves around the theme of death. Humor and Irony are a unique combinations Collins displays in many of his poems, challenging the readers toRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson Compare and Contrast Essay1596 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson, Compare and Contrast Emily Elizabeth Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe are two of the biggest poets in American Literature from the 1800s. They had many things in common from their writings about death and sadness, because of their unfortunate losses in life, to the fact that they were both born in Massachusetts. They were also different in many ways. They were different in the way they looked at life and wrote about their experiences from it. While it is obviousRead MoreEffects of Poetic Devices1754 Words   |  8 Pageshighlights similarities between one thing and another, influences the audience’s view by presenting a positive/negative image, enhances imagery, creative to use figurative language instead of just literal language. Assonance Rhyme Onomatopoeia Meter Couplet Enjambment Imagery Personification Metaphor/Simile Irony Draws attention to a point, conveys the poet’s tone, enhances the poet’s development of theme. The atmosphere conveyed in the poem, builds up tension, evokesRead MoreFigurative Language and the Canterbury Tales13472 Words   |  54 Pagesliterature to a person, place, event, or another passage of literature, often without explicit identification. Allusions can originate in mythology, biblical references, historical events, legends, geography, or earlier literary works. Authors often use allusion to establish a tone, create an implied association, contrast two objects or people, make an unusual juxtaposition of references, or bring the reader into a world of experience outside the limitations of the story itself. Authors assume that