Emily Dickinson and Religion

Dickinson and Religion Emily Dickinson was a very different woman in her time, mostly because she wrote about things that should scare us to death. Dickinson also struggled with her own religion, which is often seen through her poetry. I want to take a look at a few of her poems and analyze what Dickinson is actually saying about religion between the lines on the page, and I also want to take a deeper look into the depression that she battled. First, I would like to look at poem J-258. Dickinson wrote this poem around the year of 1861. She references a “certain slant of light,” which I have taken to mean the lie of light because there is a certain slant to it. She then goes on to say, “Winter Afternoons -- That oppresses, like the Heft of Cathedral Tunes.” It seems like she is saying that she gets more depressed as the winter afternoons go on, and Cathedral Tunes also references church music, which is significant because Dickinson refused to go to church. The next stanza begins with “Heavenly Hurt,” which alludes to her religion. Dickinson makes it seem as if her religion has betrayed her and caused her much hurt. She then says, “We can find no scar,” which I have taken to mean that we have no evidence about religion, even though there is the Bible. Dickinson is also saying that most people don’t want to think about the lack of evidence there is. Moving on to the third stanza, there is one line that sticks out to me. Dickinson says, “’Tis the Seal Despair --“ which means an empty tomb. She is talking about the empty tomb Jesus left when he was resurrected. There was just an empty tomb and this event does not mean enough to her. “An imperial affliction Sent us of the Air --“ ends this stanza. It seems to mean that none of this means enough to Dickinson. Beginning the final stanza, Dickinson writes, “When it comes, the Landscape listens -- Shadows -- hold their breath--“ She is saying that all we see is confusion. I would argue that she is talking about her own confusion about her religion. The stanza ends with, “When it goes, ‘tis like the Distance On the look of Death --.” Dickinson is telling us that we have to be tough to face the issues at hand. Through this poem, Dickinson tells us that everything passes. We also get an inside look into her depression. She also reminds us that life s more than just our atoms. The second poem I wanted to take a deeper look into is J-401. There is no date on this poem so it is unclear as to when Dickinson actually wrote it. The first stanza begins with, “What Soft -- Cherubic Creatures -- These Gentlewomen are --.“ She is talking about those outfits that women dressed in. “One would as soon assault a Plus -- Or violate a Star --.” Dickinson says that women are out of touch with reality and that they pity their husbands. The next stanza reads, “Such Dimity Convictions -- A Horror so refined Of freckled Human Nature -- Of Deity -- ashamed--.” She is telling us that Jesus would not like women pitying their husbands and being out of touch with reality. Lastly, the last stanza reads, “It’s such a common -- Glory -- A Fisherman’s -- Degree -- Redemption -- Brittle Lady -- Be so -- ashamed of Thee--.” When she says “A Fisherman’s -- Degree--,” she is talking about faith. She is telling us that this is not what religion is. Through this poem, Dickinson is harping on organized religion. Through her struggle with religion, she has made an observation about organized religion and makes sure she gets her point across. The third poem that I thought was important to look at is J-324. It was written around 1860. This poem, I find, is very important to Dickinson’s feelings about religion, especially hers. The first stanza reads, “Some keep the Sabbath going to Church -- I keep it, staying at Home -- With a Bobolink for a Chorister -- And an Orchard, for a Dome--.” Dickinson is definitely telling us that she is a skeptic. It’s as if she refers to the church as a narcotic. She worships the truth by staying at home. She also wants you to take a look at creation. The next stanza reads, “Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice -- I just wear my Wings -- And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church, Our little Sexton -- sings.” Dickinson is saying that no evidence beings you to believe. She is telling us that we get all dressed up, and for what? This is as close to spiritual as she is going to get. She wears her wings, or uses her imagination. Dickinson also wants you to listen to the birds. The last stanza says, “God preaches, a noted Clergyman -- And the sermon is never long, So instead of getting to Heaven, at last -- I’m going, all along.” She tells us that there might be nothing, but she listens to the truth. To her, thinking is heaven. The next poem I want to dissect is J-721. Dickinson wrote this poem around 1863. It is a longer one of her poems, but it gives us insight into her beliefs. The first stanza begins with, “Behind Me -- dips Eternity -- Before me -- Immortality -- Myself -- the Term between --.” The past is behind her, time is behind her, but where she is going is immortality. Dickinson is saying that we came from the void of time and we go into time. The second half of the stanza reads, “death but the drift of Eastern Gray, Dissolving into dawn away, Before the West begin --.” The days have gone by. What she is saying is that time all we have and all we know. The second stanza begins with, “’Tis Kingdoms -- afterward -- they say -- In perfect --pauseless Monarchy -- Whose Prince -- in Sone of None --.” His kingdom awaits us. She refers to the prince as God and the sone as Jesus. The second half of the stanza says, “Himself -- His Dateless Dynasty -- Himself -- Himself diversify -- In Duplicate divine --.” There is no beginning, she says. She also leaves the question lingering, is there no trinity? The last stanza starts with, “’Tis Miracle before Me -- then -- ‘Tis Miracle behind me -- between -- A crescent in the Sea --.” The miracle she is referring to is the miracles of consciousness. The stanza ends with, “With Midnight to the North of Her -- And midnight to the South of Her -- And Maelstrom -- in the Sky --.” She is leaving darkness and going to darkness. Dickinson is telling us that we know absolutely nothing. The last poem I would like to loo at is J-501. Dickinson wrote it around 1861. I’m going to analyze this poem a little differently because it is not broken up into stanzas. The first part of it reads, “This World is not Conclusion. A Species stands beyond -- Invisible, as Music -- But positive, as Sound -- It beckons, and it baffles -- Philosophy -- don’t know -- And through a Riddle, at the last --.” The species that Dickinson refers to is God. she is also saying that religion is consoling and that there is no gender. The second part of the poem reads, “Sagacity, must go -- to guess it, puzzles scholars -- To gain it, Men have borne Contempt of Generations And Crucifixion, shown --Faith slips -- and laughs, and rallies --.” Dickinson is saying that if God is life, we have to die to live. She is also saying that these people are not fools. The last part of the poem says, “Blushes, if any see -- Plucks at a twig of Evidence -- And ask a Vane, the way -- Much Gesture, from the Pulpit -- Strong Hallelujahs roll -- Narcotics cannot still the Tooth That nibbles at the soul.” She is saying that it is okay to get embarrassed. Dickinson also wants you to call a philosopher. That tooth that she refers to is actually the truth she wants you to know. Dickinson is saying that the power of belief is belief. These poems were selected in order to highlight Dickinson’s religious beliefs as well as to show her great poetic work. While analyzing these poems, I have come to the conclusion that Dickinson does have some sort of religious beliefs and values, but she does not believe what other’s do. Because she was forced into religion, she became rebellious against it. That is shown through her writings, but we also get a little insight into how she actually feels about it. Dickinson might have been a believer if she actually thought there was physical evidence about religion. She’s saying, “The bible is great and all, but where is the physical evidence. I want to see it with my own eyes.” Because she can’t physically see it, she can’t believe it. Dickinson has a bunch of unanswered questions that she tries to make sense of through her poetry. I don’t think that she was trying to push her thoughts and beliefs onto others, she just wanted them to know where she was coming from and to actually listen to what she was saying. I think she respects the religion of others, but she just wanted to be heard as an individual. The only way she knew that her voice was going to be heard was through poetry.These poems weren’t published during her lifetime, but this topic has always been relevant to society. There are people in today’s society that are struggling with these questions and feelings. Dickinson actually went out and wrote about it and got the topic started. Dickinson also writes quite a bit about death instead of the future, which we have seen through these poems. This goes to show just how depressed she is and how much is has affected her. Dickinson is so skeptical about religion that she does not understand the word of God. The fact that none of it means enough to her just shows that she is missing something in her life. I think that the reason she is so depressed is because she doesn’t understand. What I have gathered from these poems is that Dickinson is actually afraid of death, which is why she writes about it so much. All in all, Dickinson is skeptical about religion and is a very depressed individual. These characteristics comes through in her poetry. Analyzing her poems shows just how depressed she is, as well as her actual religious thoughts. Breaking these two issues down helps me to better understand the woman that Dickinson was.