Reading through this poem for the first time, I was immediately distracted by the format. The dashes and capitalization were confusing to me and would show up unexpectedly. Therefore, my initial instinct was to ponder what the author was trying to accomplish with such unique emphasis. After some deliberation, I came to the conclusion that the style of this poem in some ways mirrors the content and the message. For example, some readers like myself may not be accustomed to poetry or this particular style. We read through the poem struggling to comprehend, but when we read it again and again, we begin to adjust our eyes and the true meaning becomes clear. In the same manner, the speaker emphasizes our sight adjusting to the darkness to help us find the way.
After overcoming the issues I had with style, I then focused on the meaning of the poem and it truly resonated with me. I feel like we all experience times of darkness. But the real test is how we adapt. Will we fumble through the woods banging our heads on trees? Or will we wait it out and let our eyes adjust to the midnight darkness? I feel neither choice is wrong, but we as individuals have to decide how we will become accustomed to the night.
This image is what came to mind when picturing the darkness and night. To me, it symbolizes being alone and stumbling through the woods at night.
I feel the same way. I had always tried to steer clear of poetry in high school and in general because I could never comprehend it. I would read it over and over again trying to find some meaning in it but I never could. I really like the picture you use down at the bottom too! That's how I would picture the situation/ poem!
ReplyDeleteI really like what you said about how we all adapt differently and how there really isn't a wrong way. I agree completely. If we all adapted the same way, we would probably all be running into each other instead of trees. And the images you chose are perfect for this poem.
ReplyDeleteI felt like Dickinson was saying we must be brave and risk hitting our heads on trees in order to "learn to see" so waiting it out wouldn't be an option.
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