The Uniqueness of Emily Dickinson

 by Ruthie Gawley

Emily Dickinson was unique. She never has been equaled - and she never will be. But what makes this poet, writing in 19th century America, so special? To solve this mystery, I’m going to delve deeper into two of Dickinson’s poems, on a topic she wrote prolifically about: death and mortality. I’ll examine their most beautiful lines, and then consider what makes the whole poem so appealing. Perhaps we can discover why Dickinson’s 200-year-old words still touch readers today.

In considering these themes, Dickinson often envisioned her own death. A striking example is her poem 462. Just the first line, “I heard a Fly buzz - When I died - ”, has a huge impression. It seems terrifyingly eerie but also slightly bathetic. “When I died - ”, in past tense, has a jarring simplicity which contrasts its obviously paradoxical nature. (Dickinson herself can’t have died, or she couldn’t have written this poem).

On top of that, there is the symbol of the fly. On one hand, it acts as a poignant emblem of death and decay. However, the fly also brings a hint of mundaneness to the poem, making death seem strangely everyday. The description of its buzz emphasises this for me; the aural imagery brings the scene to life - makes it feel ordinary - but is still deeply sinister. I think that the chilling strangeness of this poem is mixed with something almost anticlimactic; a suggestion that death is a regular part of life.

It’s probably true that mortality played a larger role in Dickinson's life than in our lives today. She lived in a period when death was intrinsically linked with everyday life; for the average 19th century American, life expectancy was just 41 years old. However, she also faced hard losses during her time - and withdrew from society for most of her life to care for her ailing mother. It is easy to tell why mortality impacted her in particular, and she writes about it so strikingly. 

Accordingly, I believe part of the beauty of her poems is that Dickinson has faced and reflected on the themes she considers. Of course, she has an unapologetically unique approach to writing and a vivid style, which shine through in this poem. But, fueling this creativity is real experience and true contemplation on her topic of writing. To me, Dickinson’s work can be as insightful as philosophy. To write about such profound topics, and make such profound comments, must touch anyone who reads her poems. 

A poem which considers mortality in a different way is her poem 449, which starts “I died for Beauty - but was scarce”. In this piece, the voice of the narrator, “I”, seems more removed from Dickinson; she’s exploring the idea of mortality through others. The narrative follows two voices talking from their tombs; one having died for “Truth” and the other for “Beauty”

In her final lines, Dickinson writes that the narrators talked “Until the Moss had reached our lips - / And covered up - our names -”. For me, there is haunting beauty in the symbol of moss; it suggests that they are gradually fading away. The image created is very powerful due to the usage of nouns with connotations of identity and belonging: lips and names. I believe that Dickinson is exploring the nature of identity, and its place in mortality. She suggests that although their ideals (Truth and Beauty) will live on, the narrator’s deaths are somehow more permanent. 

I find this poem particularly remarkable given that Dickinson was writing in the 1860s. It was an era of strict religion; life after death should only have been discussed in a church. It was an era of sexism; women writers were expected to conform to ‘pleasant’ topics (certainly not a powerful poem like this). It was, quite simply, a different time. 

Perhaps Dickinson’s poems are so powerful because she was breaking the mould to explore these themes. She felt these difficult feelings, and expressed them so beautifully, in spite of the constraints of her era. It proves that, regardless of their situation, people have always been this way. People have always grieved and been lost. People have always struggled to comprehend the mysteries of mortality. Dickinson illustrates the timeless nature of the human condition.

So, why is Dickinson’s work so enduring? I think we’ve found our answer. These two different poems, on the nature of morality, are linked by one thread: connection. The first emphasised Dickinson’s unique style and her personal attachment to each theme she considers - creating poems with philosophical beauty. In the second, Dickinson reminded us that human emotion has remained unchanged after all this time. Even now, it’s easy to put yourself in Dickinson’s shoes. We can really relate to her. Together, Dickinson’s insightful ideas and meaningful emotion kindles a spark of connection with her readers. A 200-year-old spark, which is still burning strong.