Since we didn't read this one for class, I'll type the poem here and give some of my thoughts and interpretation.
Why make it doubt - it hurts it so -
So sick - to guess -
So strong - to know -
So brave - upon its little Bed
To tell the very last They said
Unto Itself - and smile - And shake -
For that dear - distant - dangerous - Sake -
But - the Instead - the Pinching fear
That Something - it did do - or dare -
Offend the Vision - and it flee -
And They no more remember me -
Nor ever turn to tell me why -
Oh, Master, This is Misery -
True to conventional Dickinson work, the theme of this poem revolves around death. The circumstances of the death, however, isn't completely clear to me. Initially, I thought the person was witnessing someone die and leaving them, evidenced by the last few lines "...and it flee - And They no more remember me - Nor ever turn to tell me why - Oh, Master, This is Misery - ".
However, on a few more reads, I also thought it possible that the person is instead trying to tell another, perhaps a child "So brave - upon its little Bed". The tone of the first few lines seems to be almost mother like to me, as in "Why make it doubt - it hurts it so -": this person doesn't want to hurt "it" or make "it" doubt, similar to how a mother or a person who cares for another would say. In addition, the choice of adjectives, "so brave", "so strong", and "little", also seem to indicate an almost maternal caring - something a mother would tell her child.
So if it is indeed a child and a mother, then the mother has the apparent task "To tell the very last They said", they referring to, perhaps the father? A few of the next lines, however, are a bit more perplexing, such as "Offend the Vision", of which I have no concrete idea as to what it means.
Feel free to leave comments with your own analysis/interpretation. I liked this particular poem (well I enjoy Dickinson in general), so further insight into her work is always welcome.
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3 comments:
I do also sense that maternal care for a child in this poem. However, for some odd reason I think the story behind this poem is about, perhaps a dying child. The instinct of the maternal figure seems to be afraid of telling the child of what may be the end result. The first line could possibly mean to reason out why death shouldn’t be explained to the child “So brave – upon its little Bed.”
“To tell the very last They said” is the line that refers to death, which is a very common topic for Dickinson’s poems. The last few lines I agree is the actual occurrence of the death because it is about forgetting and misery. Due to the death, derived from the line, “And They no more remember me-,” it is easily sensed that the memory of a person had gone away. “Nor ever turn to tell me why- Oh, Master, This is Misery-,” speaks of not being able to describe or inform the deceased person of their impeding death.
To “Offend the Vision,” I think is the reference to the vision of external life or a life without the existence of death. “The Vision” would be offended if death was to occur. That is the way I seem to interpret it, but I’m a bit skeptical whether or not that is what she was referring to.
Overall, I thought this was an awesome poem to bring up, I especially liked the rhyming. It was really fun to read out loud. I just hope I wasn’t too annoying to my roommates.
How would you compare this poem to "'Twas like a Maelstrom"?
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