American poet “The Belle of Amherst”, Emily Dickinson wrote hundreds of poems. Few were actually published while she was alive. Dickinson is one of the most widely read and well known American poets. While she doesn’t exactly fall into the category of the Transcendentalists or Anti-Transcendentalists, she was well regarded by Emerson and she read his work thoughtfully. Even though Dickinson brought harsh emotions into her works, I believe she fits better into the Transcendentalists group rather then Anti Transcendentalists.
Not only did she believe in Puritanism which allowed her to remain grounded in her faith of God, Transcendentalism permitted her to release herself from judgment and to view herself as an individual with her own passions and thoughts. Transcendentalism involved a rejection of the strict Puritan religious attitude that was the heritage of New England. Emily Dickinson was influenced by romanticism, especially such elements, as the relationship between nature and humankind. Dickinson expressed feelings toward nature and saw a connection between the outside world and her own soul.
In the poem, “There’s a certain Slant of the light” it is directed toward a snow storm, alluding to nature. Although the poem has many anti-transcendental words, for example, oppresses, hurt, scar, internal difference and despair, the overall point of the poem is what nature feels during a snow storm. In Emily Dickinson’s second poem “‘Tis not that Dying hurts us”, the nature element is brought out once again. “Tis living-hurts us more” alludes back to Bryant, although he wanted us not to fear death and enjoy life. In the poem Dickinson refers to “The Shivers” or birds which allude to nature and the outside world.
The Essay on Analyzations of Emily Dickinson’s Poems
Emily Dickinson wrote multiple poems describing objects without ever saying the object’s names. A few examples would be her poems “Leaden Sieves,” “A Narrow Fellow in the Grass,” and “Route of Evanescence.” These poems are similar to a riddle. In order to determine what her poem is about one must analyze the poems to identify what the object is by ...
She feels depressed though because she wants death so that someone will be kind to her and respects her, and compares the birds (nature) to her life. Many of Emily Dickinson’s poems have Anti-Transcendental elements; although I believe the point of her poems refer to nature, her soul and goodness. In “The Bustle in a House” the title implies Transcendentalism, because the movement of the family in the house is good, even if it’s after death. Everyone on earth, alluding back to nature, feels this way after someone they love passes away.
The last work of Dickinson I used to prove she’s a transcendental writer is, “I heard a Fly buzz-when I died”. In the title she refers to a fly which is an animal, sign of nature. “The stillness in the room was like the stillness in the air between the heaves of storm”. Once again Emily Dickinson alludes to nature, even though it has more of a gothic element. Dickinson is one of the most widely read and well known American poets. Although she can wager both ways for being either Anti-Transcendentalist or Transcendentalist I feel her poems are reflecting how she feels as well as the nature element is always present.