The stair case in Emily's House

The entryway in Emily's House

This is my letter to the world,
That never wrote to me,--
The simple news that Nature told,
With tender majesty.
Her message is committed
To hands I cannot see;
For love of her, sweet countrymen,
Judge tenderly of me!




Emily uses personification in many of her poems. This poem gives the world the power of writing letters and sending a message. World and Told rhyme. Emily yet again uses a sad tone in her poem. Like she has sent a message out to the world in her poetry yet the world could care less.



POOR little heart!
Did they forget thee?
Then dinna care! Then dinna care!

Proud little heart!
Did they forsake thee?
Be debonair! Be debonair!

Frail little heart!
I would not break thee:
Could’st credit me? Could’st credit me?

Gay little heart!
Like morning glory
Thou’ll wilted be; thou’ll wilted be!

Emily uses the style of repetition of words and phrases. This can be seen vividly in this poem when at the end of each stanza she repeats the final lines. She is lonely and forsaken in this poem like how she was in life as a recluse.



HEART, we will forget him!
You and I, to-night!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.

When you have done, pray tell me,

That I my thoughts may dim;
Haste! lest while you’re lagging,
I may remember him!

Emily uses rhyming with dim and him and light and night. Most of Dickinson's poems portray a sad, lonely message. She uses the ability to tell a story in her works. The use of imagery and personification makes the reader really be able to see what her brain is thinking and her heart is feeling.


THE DEVIL, had he fidelity,
Would be the finest friend
Because he has ability,
But Devils cannot mend.
Perfidy is the virtue
That would he but resign,
The Devil, so amended,
Were durably divine.

Emily likes to talk about death and question matters of faith. Most of her poems talk about dying or what happens after death. She uses rhyming again and repetition with the Devil. "Friend, Mend" "Ablility, Fidelity" "Divine, Resign"


SHE died at play,
Gambolled away
Her lease of spotted hours,
Then sank as gaily as a Turk
Upon a couch of flowers.
Her ghost strolled softly o’er the hill
Yesterday and today,
Her vestments as the silver fleece,
Her countenance as spray.

Emily uses assonance many times through out this poem connecting the many lines in the stanza together making this poem flow easy. Emily does this many times through out her hundreds of poems making it her trade mark in a sense.



LIKE Men and Women shadows walk
Upon the hills today,
With here and there a mighty bow,
Or trailing courtesy
To Neighbors, doubtless, of their own;

Not quickened to perceive
Minuter landscape, as Ourselves
And Boroughs where we live.

Emily talks about men and women as animals walking through the hill sides and relates them to nature. She does this a lot through out her poems and is also one of her trade marks. Emily does not use assonance or alliteration in this poem like she usually does in many of her other poems.