Textual Analysis of Emily Dickinsons Poem The Brain is wider than the Sky - Research Paper Example

Task: Textual Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s Poem “The Brain is wider than the Sky” Textual analysis allows critics to study important aspects of a poem. For example, textual critics study a poem based on its structure, form, storyline, viewpoint, theme, rhythm, rhyme, tone, mood and emotion. Emily Dickinson’s poem, The Brain is wider than the Sky, is unique because it considers these aspects. Its uniqueness is further evident from its relevance to the categories of criticisms. These criticisms include formalist, biographical, contemporary neuroscience, psychoanalytic and philosophy of mind criticisms. The poem also employs fundamental devices that make a poem memorable in its delivery of message (Deppman 76). Formalist Criticism Uniqueness in Emily Dickinson choice of structure and form in the entire poem is clear. She creates an extremely provocative poem using minimal words. For example, the poem provokes its respective audience to explore the relations of the mind to the sky, the sea and God. Her entire poem reveals the use of several dashes that seem to heighten uncertainty. Dickson places a dash after every sentence in her poem making critics question the intentional use of the symbol. Careful analysis reveals that the dashes emphasize the meaning in the poem. It is fundamental to acknowledge that the form of her poem is captivating because of its brevity. One would not expect such a short poem to deliver an intense message. Other significant elements about form and structure in this poem include Emily’s choice of three stanzas. She ensures that there is equal division of lines in her poem making each of the three stanzas have three lines. There is a notable pattern in the rhyme scheme that she introduces to make the poem suitable. For example, in her first stanza, Emily Dickinson creates an internal rhyme that increases the musicality of her poem. The second line of the first stanza ends with the word “side” while the second last line ends with the word “beside”. This implies that there is rhyme in the two lines of the first stanza within the poem . Dickinson continues to explore the use of rhyme in an exemplary way. This is because she maintains a rhyming scheme in the poem. For example, several elements of rhyme are evident in the second and third stanzas respectively. The word “Blue” rhymes with “do” while “pound” rhymes with “sound”. Biographical Criticism Dickson’s previous exposure and consequent address of topics that are relevant to the Romantic Movement in poetry make the poem relevant. She chooses the omniscient point of view in elaborating her storyline. This poem does not seem to have specific voices. However, it has a significantly powerful voice that is neither first person nor second person. The voice is always present throughout the poem. Dickinson displays poetic prowess when using this unique voice to deliver her message in the poem. In the second stanza of the poem, she implies “-Put them side by side-“. This commanding voice lacks a clear origin. An interesting aspect of the omniscient viewpoint that combines physics and psychology (Faflak 55) Dickinson addresses matters that are beyond feminism in this poem. She uses the poem to display her wonder on significant aspects of nature. Her other works equally focus on several fascinating ideas that are natural (Farr & Louise 5). For example, she focuses on the brain and its power over other powerful elements. She seems to have mastered Romanticism because of her exemplary delivery of a poem that focuses on natural ideas. Psychoanalytic Criticism Dickinson succeeds in accessing the parts of the brain that seem to be unreachable because they are unconscious. The poem allows her to express ideas that seem impossible in the normal world. She uses her poetic justice to reveal some of her unusual desires. Emily Dickinson satisfies the psychoanalytic elements in her poem. Psychoanalysts suggest that people’s actions are governed by sexual desires. Emily displays her sexual desires as apparent in the mood and emotion in the poem. For example, nature (sea, sky) are significant in Dickinson’s sexual desires. The description and accessibility of sky and sea respectively could indicate her yearning for sexual intimacy. This is because the entire poem alludes to natural phenomenon. The mood of the poem is equally calm making it possible for her to think of sexual incidences. Psychoanalytic criticisms also seem to believe that Freud was right in the allegation that people display their unconscious motives through creative processes (Kroeber 11). This appears to be relevant to Dickinson’s poem on the superiority of the brain. She creates a poem that satisfies almost each yardstick for a perfect poem. These perfections include the brevity of the poem but still delivering the message. She also manages to use an extremely convincing tone in the poem making readers admire her creativity. Dickinson unravels her unconscious when she almost equates the brain with God. Normally, no one is allowed to compare God with anyone. She understands that her society will probably judge her if she registers an open comparison of God and the brain. This is the chief reason why Dickinson decides to uses the poem “The Brain is wider than the Sky” to compare God with the brain. The comparison is clear in final stanza of this poem in which her unconscious thoughts are revealed (Leiter 183). Contemporary Neuroscience There are several relations between contemporary neuroscience and free will. The complexities of the brain makes readers explore the possibility of such an association in the poem. It is true that elements of neuroscience guide readers in understanding diverse poems. In this poem, readers need to understand the structure of the brain for them to get the message that Dickinson wishes to deliver (Bear, Connors, & Paradiso 4). She uses several devices of poetry in creating a perfect picture of the brain. The devises in the poem are analogy and repetition. For example, she uses the analogy of the sky to represent the power of the brain. This analogy makes readers understand that the brain has significant roles determining the choices that people make in their respective lives. The brain in this poem is significant because it seems to control all the senses of human beings. Dickinson manages to merge senses and the brain in her poem. For example, her poem includes the senses of sight and feeling. In the second stanza, Dickinson mentions the color “blue” which is visualized. She also mentions the aspect of holding the sea and the brain, which is commensurate to a feeling. A deeper interpretation of the poem suggests that Dickinson has a unique appreciation of the brain. She uses the poem to convince her audience that their brains understand nature. She uses the omniscient viewpoint in the poem to ask her audience to compare the brain with the respective natural elements (Bear, Connors, & Paradiso 2). Philosophy of Mind Emily Dickinson holds the view that the brain is larger than the sky. The prevailing message in the entire poem seems to be about the marvel of the brain. She includes its ability to perform extra-ordinary actions. For example, in the first stanza, Dickinson suggests that when people compare the brain to the sky, the former has a superior ability. This is a fascinating comparison. The analogies that Dickson presents in the poem enable readers to appreciate the value of the brain. The sky is normally extremely high while the sea is among the deepest phenomena that exist. This suggests that Dickinson also attempts to be philosophical in the three stanzas. She compares the brain to extreme ideas. The brain is extraordinary when it supersedes these extreme ideas. Emily Dickinson ensures that all the stanzas of this poem highlight the aspect of the mind. She is successful in proving this fact by her constant repetition of the word diction. Her choice of diction is in this poem is equally influential in highlighting philosophical concepts about the mind of the human (Bloom 41). The mind is unique because people reason differently. This implies that the mind enable people to use brains differently. This does not mean that the brain has negative impacts. Instead, it proves that people’s minds are influential in the actions that they partake. The brain is complex in its structure because it has two distinct hemispheres. There has to be certain balances in the equilibrium of the brain for it to work appropriately. In this poem, Dickinson seems to emphasize the greatness of the mind in solving problems that appear difficult. She suggests this concept by introducing mystical elements in the poem. It is evident that Emily Dickinson is an exemplary poet who takes time to create an excellent piece that touches on the lives of the readers through revisions (Bloom 41). The literary styles work together in developing a masterpiece. The elements that contribute to her success include biographical criticisms. Additionally, Dickinson’s decision to explore the mind and the entire phenomenon that surround it was a poetically justified choice. This is because her message in the poem is applicable to varied categories of people. Works Cited Bear, Mark, Barry Connors, & Michael, Paradiso. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007. Print. Bloom, Harold. Emily Dickinson. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2008. Print Deppman, Jed. Trying to Think with Emily Dickinson. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2008. Print. Faflak, Joel. Romantic Psychoanalysis: The Burden of the Mystery. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2008.Print Farr, Judith, and Louise Carter. The Gardens of Emily Dickinson. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2004. Internet resource. Kroeber, Karl. Romantic Poetry: Recent Revisionary Criticism. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers Univ. Press, 1993.Print Leiter, Sharon. Critical Companion to Emily Dickinson: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work. New York, NY: Facts on File, 2007. Internet resource. Leiter, Sharon. Critical Companion to Emily Dickinson: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work. New York, NY: Facts on File, 2007. Internet resource. Farr, Judith, and Louise Carter. The Gardens of Emily Dickinson. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2004. Internet resource. Bloom, Harold. Emily Dickinson. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2008. Print. Bear, Mark, Barry Connors, & Michael, Paradiso. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007. Print. Deppman, Jed. Trying to Think with Emily Dickinson. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2008. Print. Faflak, Joel. Romantic Psychoanalysis: The Burden of the Mystery. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2008.Print Kroeber, Karl. Romantic Poetry: Recent Revisionary Criticism. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers Univ. Press, 1993.Print Read More