Dickinson’s writing Essays

Dickinson’s writing Essays Dickinson’s writing Essay Dickinson’s writing Essay Dickinson’s writing touched on many issues that were very important to the life and development of Dickinson’s persona; such as religion, war, psychosis, and love. Dickinson’s insight into these issues has been the source of the majority of the interest in her work. Emily Dickenson, throughout her life, sought a personal understanding of God and his place within her life. Her place within the Calvinist Puritan Amherst, however, would not allow for her inquiry into the understanding of the nature of God other than within their specific doctrine. In the poem Success is Counted Sweetest refers to comparison.   Dickinson writes that those who are granted their desires are more appreciative if they have never before received, or reached their desires.   It seems that Dickinson is referring to a lack of accomplishment from certain people, which could mean herself, and the accolades which success brings to the person who has seen little success, as she writes, â€Å"Success is counted sweetest By those who ne’er succeed† (Dickinson lines 1-2).   In these two short lines, Dickinson can also be referring to certain religious images as the poem continues to state, â€Å"To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need† (Dickinson line 3-4).   In these lines Dickinson is making a contrast to a person who is in great need of success to a person who has had success in multitudes.   It is through experience, that is, negative experience in hoping and hope failing that Dickinson is referencing in these lines.   A person who has been pushed against the guillotine and never seeing a miracle, or having any part of success occur to them is more appreciative when a miracle occurs, than a person who has had constant exposure to their wants being fulfilled. Dickinson’s poem further emphasizes her point by stating, â€Å"Not one of all the purple Host Who took the flag today can tell the definition so clear of Victory† (Dickinson lines 5-6).   Purple is in reference to royalty, in this case â€Å"purple Host† (line 5) makes reference to a divine person, perhaps Christ, which is not uncommon to find religious symbolism in a Dickinson poem.   Here, Dickinson states that everyone on earth will not have exposure to success, or in this line, victory, because sometimes it is reserved for the deserving.   Emily Dickinson takes the poem further in symbolism by not merely writing about success in a corporeal sense but success as a victory for the soul entering heaven.   Thus, not everyone will have a chance to be accepted into heaven to have a divine success. Dickinson goes on to state, â€Å".- As he defeated-dying- On whose forbidden ear the distant strains of triumph Burst agonized an clear!† (Dickinson lines 7-9).   Here, the completion of the analogy in the poem to death is clear.   In the wording Dickinson uses, the reader may read that Victory in this case is victory over damnation, and the burst of triumph is heard to that of succeeding in life, in eternity with God, presumable, even though the religious icon is never mentioned in the poem it is clear that Dickinson is referencing the bible with word choices such as a trumpet ‘burst’, ‘purple’, and ‘Host’ which is in reference to the Holy Ghost.