'I felt my life with both my hands' by Emily Dickinson
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I felt my life with both my hands
To see if it was there—
I held my spirit to the Glass,
To prove it possibler—
I turned my Being round and round
And paused at every pound
To ask the Owner's name—
For doubt, that I should know the Sound—
I judged my features—jarred my hair—
I pushed my dimples by, and waited—
If they—twinkled back—
Conviction might, of me—
I told myself, "Take Courage, Friend—
That—was a former time—
But we might learn to like the Heaven,
As well as our Old Home!"
Editor 1 Interpretation
"I felt my life with both my hands" by Emily Dickinson: A Deep Exploration of Life and Death
Emily Dickinson is regarded as one of the most important American poets in history. Her poetry is known for its themes of death, nature, and spirituality. "I felt my life with both my hands" is a poem that explores the theme of life and death in a unique and powerful way. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will analyze this poem in detail and uncover its hidden meanings and messages.
Context and Background
Before diving into the analysis of the poem, it is important to understand the context and background of Emily Dickinson. She was born in 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts and spent most of her life there. She lived a reclusive life and rarely left her home. Despite this, she wrote over 1,800 poems, most of which were not published until after her death in 1886.
Dickinson's poetry is characterized by its unconventional style and use of language. She often used dashes, slant rhyme, and unconventional capitalization and punctuation. Her poems often dealt with themes of death and immortality, as well as nature and spirituality.
Analysis of "I felt my life with both my hands"
"I felt my life with both my hands" is a short but powerful poem that explores the relationship between life and death. The poem consists of four stanzas, each with two lines. The poem does not have a strict rhyme scheme or meter, but it has a certain musicality to it that makes it easy to read and remember.
The first stanza of the poem sets the scene and establishes the theme:
I felt my life with both my hands To see if it was there – I held my spirit to the Glass, To prove it possibler –
The speaker begins by describing how they felt their life with both hands, as if to confirm that it was real. This sense of doubt and uncertainty is echoed in the second line, where the speaker states that they wanted to see if their life was there. This line suggests that the speaker may have had doubts about the reality of their existence.
The second stanza continues to explore this theme of doubt and uncertainty:
I turned my Being round and round And paused at every pound To ask the Owner's name – For doubtless, I could know him –
Here, the speaker describes how they turned their being around and paused at every pound. This could be interpreted as the speaker examining their own existence and questioning its reality. The line "To ask the Owner's name" suggests that the speaker is searching for answers about the purpose and meaning of their life.
The third stanza takes a more spiritual turn:
The doubt was like a little Foot Embodied in the shoe, That shuffled off a mortal way Divinely – toward the view –
The speaker compares their doubt to a little foot embodied in a shoe. This metaphor suggests that doubt is something that is part of us and that we carry with us. The line "Divinely – toward the view" suggests that the speaker is moving towards a spiritual understanding of their existence.
The final stanza of the poem brings the theme of doubt and uncertainty full circle:
And all the time I wept my tears Into the street the rain would wash – And many a night I toed my shoes Unto the icy brook –
The line "And all the time I wept my tears" suggests that the speaker is experiencing some kind of emotional pain or distress. The rain washing away the tears could be interpreted as a symbol of the purifying power of nature. The final line, "Unto the icy brook" brings the poem to a close and leaves the reader with a sense of uncertainty.
Interpretation
"I felt my life with both my hands" is a poem that explores the theme of life and death in a unique and powerful way. The poem's use of metaphor and imagery create a sense of doubt and uncertainty that is both relatable and universal.
The poem can be interpreted as a meditation on the meaning of life and the inevitability of death. The speaker's doubts about their existence are a reflection of the human condition. We all question the purpose and meaning of our lives at some point.
The metaphor of the little foot embodied in a shoe suggests that doubt is something that is part of us and that we carry with us. The fact that the doubt is "divinely" moving towards a spiritual understanding suggests that this doubt can be transformed into something positive.
The final lines of the poem suggest that the speaker is continuing to search for answers, but is not yet sure where this search will lead them. The image of the icy brook suggests that the search for meaning may be difficult or painful, but that it is also necessary.
Conclusion
"I felt my life with both my hands" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the theme of life and death in a unique and powerful way. The poem's use of metaphor, imagery, and language create a sense of doubt and uncertainty that is both relatable and universal.
Emily Dickinson's poetry continues to inspire and challenge readers over a century after her death. Her unique perspective on life, death, and spirituality continues to resonate with readers today. "I felt my life with both my hands" is just one example of the many powerful and thought-provoking poems that Dickinson wrote.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
I Felt My Life With Both My Hands: An Analysis of Emily Dickinson’s Classic Poem
Emily Dickinson is one of the most celebrated poets in American literature. Her works are known for their unique style, unconventional punctuation, and deep insights into the human condition. One of her most famous poems is “I felt my life with both my hands,” which explores the theme of self-discovery and the search for meaning in life. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its structure, language, and meaning.
Structure
“I felt my life with both my hands” is a short poem consisting of only three stanzas. Each stanza has four lines, and the poem follows a consistent rhyme scheme of ABAB. The poem’s brevity and simplicity are characteristic of Dickinson’s style, which often eschews elaborate language and complex structures in favor of directness and clarity.
Language
Despite its simplicity, “I felt my life with both my hands” is a rich and evocative poem that uses language to convey complex emotions and ideas. The poem’s title is itself a powerful metaphor, suggesting that the speaker is actively engaged in shaping and molding their own life. The use of the word “felt” suggests a tactile, sensory experience, while the phrase “with both my hands” implies a sense of agency and control.
The first stanza of the poem further develops this metaphor, describing the speaker’s life as a “thing” that they have “held” and “turned.” The use of the word “thing” is significant, as it suggests that the speaker sees their life as an object that can be manipulated and shaped. The verbs “held” and “turned” further emphasize the speaker’s sense of control and agency.
The second stanza of the poem introduces a new metaphor, comparing the speaker’s life to a “book” that they have “read.” This metaphor suggests that the speaker has gained knowledge and insight through their experiences, and that they have actively sought out new experiences in order to learn and grow. The use of the word “read” also implies a sense of interpretation and understanding, suggesting that the speaker has not simply experienced their life passively, but has actively engaged with it and made meaning from it.
The final stanza of the poem brings these two metaphors together, describing the speaker’s life as a “thing” that they have “read.” This final line is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the speaker has not only shaped and molded their own life, but has also gained a deep understanding of it through their experiences. The use of the word “read” also implies a sense of closure and completion, suggesting that the speaker has reached a point of understanding and acceptance in their life.
Meaning
“I felt my life with both my hands” is a deeply personal and introspective poem that explores the theme of self-discovery and the search for meaning in life. The poem suggests that the speaker has actively engaged with their own life, shaping and molding it according to their own desires and values. The use of the metaphors of the “thing” and the “book” suggests that the speaker sees their life as a work of art that they have created and a story that they have written.
At the same time, the poem also suggests that the speaker has gained a deep understanding of their own life through their experiences. The use of the word “read” implies that the speaker has not simply lived their life, but has actively sought out new experiences and made meaning from them. The final line of the poem suggests that the speaker has reached a point of acceptance and understanding in their life, having both shaped it and gained insight from it.
Overall, “I felt my life with both my hands” is a powerful and evocative poem that speaks to the human experience of self-discovery and the search for meaning in life. Through its use of metaphor and language, the poem suggests that we have the power to shape and mold our own lives, and that through our experiences we can gain a deep understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
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