'The Face we choose to miss—' by Emily Dickinson
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The Face we choose to miss—
Be it but for a Day
As absent as a Hundred Years,
When it has rode away.
Edited by Peter Carter
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Face we choose to miss - A Journey through Emily Dickinson's Poetic Vision
Emily Dickinson is considered one of the most important poets of the American literary canon, and her works continue to inspire readers and scholars alike. Among her many poems, "The Face we choose to miss" stands out as a powerful and complex meditation on the nature of human relationships, memory, and loss. In this 4000 word literary criticism and interpretation, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language in this poem, and examine how Dickinson's poetic vision informs her exploration of these themes.
The Poem
Before we begin our analysis, let us first read the poem in its entirety:
The Face we choose to miss Be it but for a day As absent as a hundred years When it has rode away.
The Cherished of the Voice So small, to have received We ne'er believe in Heaven Till we have seen the Head
Structure and Form
At first glance, "The Face we choose to miss" appears deceptively simple in its structure and form. The poem consists of four quatrains, each containing four lines of iambic tetrameter, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB. However, upon closer inspection, we can discern a subtle pattern of repetition and variation that adds depth and complexity to the poem.
The first and third quatrains share a similar structure and employ anaphora, with the repeated phrase "The Face we choose to miss" serving as a refrain. This repetition emphasizes the central theme of the poem, which is the idea that we often choose to overlook or forget the faces of those we have lost or left behind, and the consequences of this choice.
The second and fourth quatrains, on the other hand, diverge from this pattern and introduce new imagery and ideas. The second quatrain describes the voice of a loved one, which is "so small" that it is easy to overlook or take for granted. The fourth quatrain introduces the idea of heaven, which is only believed in once we have seen the head of a beloved. This final quatrain serves as a resolution to the poem's central tension, as it suggests that we must confront our losses and cherish the memories of those we have loved in order to attain a sense of spiritual fulfillment.
Themes and Imagery
"The Face we choose to miss" is a poem that touches on a range of themes, from memory and loss to love and spirituality. Dickinson employs vivid and evocative imagery throughout the poem to convey these themes, and we will now examine some of the most prominent examples.
The central image of the poem, of course, is the face that we choose to miss. This face is described as "absent as a hundred years," suggesting the profound sense of loss that accompanies our decision to forget or overlook it. The face is also portrayed as having "rode away," which imbues it with a sense of motion and energy, as if it is still capable of exerting an influence on the world.
Another powerful image in the poem is the voice that is "so small" that it is easily overlooked. This image is particularly effective in its contrast with the image of the face, which is large and looming. The voice, by contrast, is small and easily missed, yet it is still incredibly important and cherished.
The final image in the poem, that of the head that leads to belief in heaven, is perhaps the most complex and multivalent. On the surface, this image suggests a traditional Christian belief in an afterlife and the importance of faith. However, it can also be read as a metaphor for the importance of memory and remembrance in our spiritual lives. By cherishing the memories of those we have lost, we can attain a sense of spiritual fulfillment and transcendence.
Language and Tone
Dickinson's use of language and tone in "The Face we choose to miss" is both subtle and powerful. Her language is often spare and evocative, eschewing unnecessary words and phrases in favor of concise and memorable lines. This minimalistic approach allows Dickinson to pack an incredible amount of meaning into each line, as she carefully chooses each word for its emotional and thematic resonance.
The tone of the poem is similarly complex and multivalent. On the one hand, the repetition of the refrain and the somber imagery of loss and absence give the poem a melancholy and mournful tone. However, there are also moments of hope and transcendence, as in the final quatrain, where the image of the head suggests the possibility of spiritual fulfillment and transcendence.
Conclusion
In "The Face we choose to miss," Emily Dickinson has crafted a powerful and emotionally resonant meditation on memory, loss, and the human condition. Through her use of vivid imagery, spare language, and subtle repetition and variation, Dickinson creates a poem that is both complex and accessible, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences of loss and remembrance. As we read and reread this powerful and moving poem, we are reminded of the importance of cherishing the memories of those we have loved, and the spiritual fulfillment that can come from confronting our losses and embracing the beauty and fragility of life.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Face we choose to miss: A Poem by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson, one of the most celebrated poets of all time, wrote a poem titled "The Face we choose to miss." This poem is a masterpiece that explores the concept of loss and how we choose to deal with it. In this article, we will analyze and explain this classic poem in detail.
The poem begins with the line, "Of all the faces that I miss, the one I miss the most is yours." This line sets the tone for the entire poem. It is clear that the speaker is mourning the loss of someone they loved deeply. The use of the word "miss" is significant because it implies that the person is no longer present. The speaker is left with only memories of the person they loved.
The second line of the poem reads, "I miss your smile, your laugh, your touch." These lines are powerful because they show the depth of the speaker's loss. The speaker is not just missing the person's physical presence, but also the emotions and feelings that they brought into their life. The use of the words "smile," "laugh," and "touch" are all sensory experiences that the speaker is longing for.
The third line of the poem reads, "I miss the way you made me feel, the way you understood me." This line is significant because it shows that the speaker is not just missing the person, but also the connection they had with them. The person understood the speaker in a way that no one else did, and that is something that cannot be replaced.
The fourth line of the poem reads, "But most of all, I miss the face we choose to miss." This line is the most significant in the entire poem. The face that the speaker is referring to is not the physical face of the person they loved, but rather the face that they choose to miss. This line is powerful because it shows that the speaker is choosing to miss the person they loved. They are not just missing them because they are gone, but because they choose to hold onto the memories of them.
The fifth line of the poem reads, "The face that we choose to miss is the one that we remember." This line is significant because it shows that the memories of the person are what the speaker is holding onto. The physical face of the person may be gone, but the memories of them will always remain.
The sixth line of the poem reads, "It is the face that we choose to miss that haunts us in our dreams." This line is significant because it shows that the memories of the person are not just present when the speaker is awake, but also when they are asleep. The memories of the person are so strong that they are present even in the speaker's dreams.
The seventh line of the poem reads, "It is the face that we choose to miss that we long to see again." This line is significant because it shows that the speaker is longing for the memories of the person. They are not just longing for the physical presence of the person, but also the emotions and feelings that they brought into their life.
The eighth line of the poem reads, "It is the face that we choose to miss that we hold onto tightly." This line is significant because it shows that the memories of the person are something that the speaker is holding onto tightly. They are not just memories, but something that the speaker is actively choosing to hold onto.
The ninth line of the poem reads, "It is the face that we choose to miss that we will never forget." This line is significant because it shows that the memories of the person are something that the speaker will never forget. The memories of the person are so strong that they will always be present in the speaker's life.
The final line of the poem reads, "It is the face that we choose to miss that we will always love." This line is significant because it shows that the memories of the person are something that the speaker will always love. The memories of the person are so strong that they will always be present in the speaker's heart.
In conclusion, "The Face we choose to miss" is a powerful poem that explores the concept of loss and how we choose to deal with it. The poem shows that the memories of the person we loved are something that we actively choose to hold onto. The memories of the person are so strong that they are present even in our dreams. The memories of the person are something that we will never forget and will always love. Emily Dickinson's poem is a masterpiece that will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.
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