'The mob within the heart' by Emily Dickinson
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The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson????1745The mob within the heart
Police cannot suppress
The riot given at the first
Is authorized as peaceUncertified of scene
Or signified of sound
But growing like a hurricane
In a congenial ground.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Mob Within the Heart: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation of Emily Dickinson's Classic Poetry
Have you ever felt the turbulence within your heart? The restlessness that gnaws at you from the inside, like a mob of unruly emotions threatening to spill out? Well, Emily Dickinson certainly did. In her timeless poem, "The Mob Within the Heart," she captures the tumultuous nature of the human psyche with her characteristic wit and wisdom.
Overview of the Poem
"The Mob Within the Heart" is a short poem consisting of just four stanzas, each containing two lines. The brevity of the poem is deceptive, for it packs a powerful punch with its vivid imagery and trenchant observations. The title itself is evocative, conjuring up images of a riotous crowd, a mob of people jostling and pushing against each other, struggling to assert their dominance.
Analysis of the Poem
The poem begins with a striking image:
The mob within the heart
That rocks the loudest there
Begets its like, as little stars
Encounter in the air.
Here, Dickinson likens the tumultuous emotions within us to a mob, a restless, agitated mass of conflicting desires and impulses. The phrase "rocks the loudest there" suggests that the heart is the site of the greatest tumult, the epicenter of the emotional storm. The heart, in other words, is where the mob is at its most potent.
The second stanza continues this theme, but introduces a new image: that of little stars encountering each other in the air. Dickinson suggests that the mob within the heart begets its like, just as little stars beget more stars when they collide. The simile is apt, for just as stars are formed from the fusion of smaller particles, so too are emotions formed from the collision of conflicting desires.
The third stanza is perhaps the most poignant:
The mob without the heart
Is rarer, but as real—
Its testimony to itself
Is, tell—is all we feel.
Here, Dickinson draws a distinction between the mob within the heart and the mob without it. The latter, she suggests, is rarer but no less real. The mob without the heart is the external world, the people and events that surround us and shape our lives. Its testimony to itself is all we feel, meaning that our perception of the outside world is filtered through our emotions. We cannot experience the world directly, but only through the lens of our own emotional state.
The final stanza brings the poem to a close:
How many be divided
By this partitioning knife—
—Weathers there be of life
Firmament without or life within.
Here, Dickinson poses a rhetorical question: how many are divided by this partitioning knife? The knife she refers to is the division between the mob within the heart and the mob without it, between our internal and external worlds. The question implies that this division is a source of conflict, that it separates us from each other and from the world around us.
The last two lines of the poem offer a glimmer of hope, suggesting that no matter what weathers there may be in the firmament without or life within, we can weather them. We can endure the storms of life, the conflicts within ourselves and with others, if we can only find a way to reconcile the mob within the heart with the mob without it.
Interpretation of the Poem
At its core, "The Mob Within the Heart" is a poem about the human condition. It is an exploration of the conflicts and contradictions that lie at the heart of our emotional lives, and of the ways in which those conflicts spill over into the external world. Dickinson suggests that we are all divided by a partitioning knife, that we are all struggling to reconcile the mob within our hearts with the mob without it.
But the poem is not without hope. Dickinson suggests that we can weather the storms of life, that we can endure the conflicts within ourselves and with others, if we can only find a way to reconcile the mob within the heart with the mob without it. This reconciliation, she suggests, is the key to a more harmonious and fulfilling life.
Conclusion
Emily Dickinson was a master of poetic expression, and "The Mob Within the Heart" is one of her finest works. Through her use of vivid imagery and trenchant observations, she captures the tumultuous nature of the human psyche with rare insight and clarity. The poem is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to explore the complexities of the human condition, and to offer us hope in the face of our own struggles and conflicts.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Emily Dickinson’s poem “The mob within the heart” is a classic piece of poetry that explores the complex and often tumultuous nature of human emotions. In this poem, Dickinson uses vivid imagery and powerful metaphors to convey the idea that our emotions can sometimes feel like a violent mob that is difficult to control.
The poem begins with the line “The mob within the heart / Police cannot suppress,” which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the piece. The use of the word “mob” suggests a group of people who are unruly and out of control, while the phrase “police cannot suppress” implies that even the most powerful forces are unable to contain them. This creates a sense of chaos and danger that runs throughout the poem.
Dickinson goes on to describe the mob within the heart as “anarchy” and “riot,” further emphasizing the idea that our emotions can be destructive and unpredictable. She writes, “And the mob does ride / Until the work is done,” suggesting that once our emotions are unleashed, they will not stop until they have achieved their goal. This can be both exhilarating and terrifying, as we never know where our emotions will take us.
One of the most striking metaphors in the poem is the comparison of the mob within the heart to a “storm.” Dickinson writes, “The storm that threatens heaven / By its own fury driven.” This image conveys the idea that our emotions can be so powerful that they can even threaten the very foundations of our beliefs and values. It also suggests that our emotions can be both destructive and transformative, like a storm that clears the air and brings new life.
Another powerful metaphor in the poem is the comparison of the mob within the heart to a “cannon.” Dickinson writes, “The cannon of the conscience / Just such poise has been.” This image suggests that our emotions can be like a weapon that we wield against ourselves, causing us to feel guilt and shame. It also implies that our emotions can be a force for good or evil, depending on how we choose to use them.
Throughout the poem, Dickinson uses language that is both vivid and evocative. She writes, “The heart has narrow banks / It measures like the sea,” creating a sense of confinement and limitation that is at odds with the wild and untamed nature of the emotions she is describing. This contrast between the controlled and the uncontrollable is a recurring theme in the poem, and it highlights the tension that exists between our rational minds and our emotional selves.
In the final stanza of the poem, Dickinson writes, “The mob within the heart / Chants on until it dies / Or else it bursts with a triumphant throe / And drowns the outcries.” This image of the mob within the heart bursting forth in a triumphant throe is both exhilarating and terrifying. It suggests that our emotions can be so powerful that they can overwhelm us completely, drowning out all other voices and leaving us at their mercy.
Overall, “The mob within the heart” is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the complex and often contradictory nature of human emotions. Through her use of vivid imagery and powerful metaphors, Emily Dickinson conveys the idea that our emotions can be both a source of strength and a source of weakness, depending on how we choose to use them. This poem is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers today, reminding us of the power and complexity of the human heart.
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