'The Doomed-regard the Sunrise' by Emily Dickinson
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The Doomed-regard the Sunrise
With different Delight-
Because-when next it burns abroad
They doubt to witness it-The Man-to die-tomorrow-
Harks for the Meadow Bird-
Because its Music stirs the Axe
That clamors for his head-Joyful-to whom the Sunrise
Precedes Enamored-Day-
Joyful-for whom the Meadow Bird
Has ought but Elegy!
Editor 1 Interpretation
Emily Dickinson's "The Doomed-regard the Sunrise": A Study of Mortality and Transcendence
The poetry of Emily Dickinson has been celebrated for its innovative use of language, its deep psychological insights, and its enigmatic exploration of the mysteries of life and death. Among her many poems, "The Doomed-regard the Sunrise" stands out as a profound meditation on mortality, transcendence, and the human condition. In this essay, I will provide a detailed literary criticism and interpretation of this classic poem, exploring its themes, structure, imagery, and rhetorical strategies, and uncovering its deeper meanings and implications.
Context and Background
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was an American poet who lived most of her life in seclusion, writing nearly 1,800 poems that were mostly unpublished during her lifetime. Her poetry is renowned for its unconventional syntax, its use of dashes, and its compression of thought and feeling. Dickinson's poetry deals with themes of love, nature, spirituality, and mortality, and is characterized by its intense introspection, its paradoxical tendencies, and its vivid and often cryptic imagery.
"The Doomed-regard the Sunrise" was written in 1863, during the American Civil War, a time of great upheaval and uncertainty in American history. Dickinson was deeply affected by the war and its aftermath, and her poetry reflects her concern with the human cost of violence, suffering, and loss. The poem was one of several that Dickinson sent to Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a literary critic and friend, in the hope of getting his feedback and advice on her poetry. Higginson was initially perplexed by Dickinson's unconventional style and subject matter, but eventually became an admirer of her work, and helped to publish some of her poems posthumously.
Analysis
Form and structure
"The Doomed-regard the Sunrise" is a short lyric poem consisting of three quatrains, or four-line stanzas, with a consistent syllabic pattern of 8-6-8-6. Each stanza is structured as a two-part unit, with the first two lines expressing a statement or observation, and the second two lines offering a reflection or qualification. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter, with four beats per line, and features a regular rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF.
The poem's form and structure reflect its content and themes, emphasizing the tension between life and death, the transience of human existence, and the possibility of spiritual transcendence. The use of quatrains and regular meter creates a sense of balance and symmetry, suggesting the order and harmony of a natural cycle. The rhyme scheme reinforces this sense of coherence, while also providing a subtle variation and modulation of sound that mirrors the shifts in meaning and mood.
Theme and imagery
The central theme of "The Doomed-regard the Sunrise" is mortality and the human struggle to find meaning and purpose in the face of death. The poem begins with a striking image of the "Doomed" looking toward the "Sunrise," suggesting a sense of anticipation and awe, but also a paradoxical sense of futility and despair. The word "Doomed" suggests a sense of inevitability, of being fated to a certain end, while the "Sunrise" implies a sense of hope, renewal, and possibility.
The second quatrain deepens this paradoxical tension, as the speaker describes the "graveyard," which is both a place of death and a place of rest. The imagery of the "mounds" and the "stones" suggests a sense of permanence and solidity, but also a sense of transience and impermanence. The speaker notes that the "frost" has "no voice," suggesting a sense of silence and absence, but also a sense of mystery and wonder.
The third quatrain introduces a more explicit religious dimension to the poem, as the speaker refers to the "Believing" who "gaze no more," suggesting a sense of resignation and acceptance. The final image of the "light" suggests a sense of illumination, of spiritual insight and transcendence, but also a sense of paradox and ambiguity. The use of the word "beam" suggests a narrow and focused source of light, but also a sense of radiance and dispersion.
Rhetorical strategies
Dickinson employs several rhetorical strategies in "The Doomed-regard the Sunrise" to create a sense of tension, ambiguity, and paradox. One of the most notable strategies is the use of oxymoron, or the combination of apparently contradictory terms. The word "Doomed-regard" in the title is an example of this strategy, as is the phrase "no voice" in the second stanza. By combining opposing terms, Dickinson creates a sense of tension and complexity that reflects the paradoxical nature of the poem's themes.
Another rhetorical strategy employed by Dickinson is the use of ellipsis, or the omission of words or phrases. The poem's frequent use of dashes, which indicate pauses or breaks in thought, creates a sense of fragmentation and incompleteness, suggesting the difficulty of expressing deep or complex emotions. The final line of the poem, "An instant's ornament," is an example of this strategy, as it leaves the reader to infer the meaning and significance of the "light" and its potential for transcendence.
Interpretation
"The Doomed-regard the Sunrise" is a powerful meditation on mortality, transcendence, and the human struggle to find meaning and purpose in the face of death. The poem's paradoxical imagery and rhetorical strategies create a sense of tension and complexity that reflects the existential dilemmas of human existence. The poem's use of religious language and imagery suggests a potential for spiritual transcendence, but also raises questions about the nature of faith and belief, and the possibility of finding meaning in a world that seems inherently unstable and fleeting.
One possible interpretation of the poem is that it represents a kind of existential resignation, a recognition of the inevitability of death and the impermanence of human existence. The "Doomed" in the poem may represent all of humanity, facing the same ultimate fate of mortality and decay. The image of the "Sunrise" may represent a fleeting hope or illusion, a momentary sense of beauty or possibility that is ultimately overshadowed by the reality of death.
Another interpretation of the poem is that it represents a kind of spiritual awakening, a recognition of the transcendent potential of human existence. The "Believing" in the poem may represent those who have found a way to reconcile the inevitability of death with a sense of spiritual purpose and significance. The light in the final line may represent a moment of illumination or insight, a glimpse of a deeper reality beyond the transient world of human experience.
Overall, "The Doomed-regard the Sunrise" is a rich and complex poem that rewards careful and attentive reading. Its themes of mortality, transcendence, and the human condition are timeless and universal, and its exploration of these themes through paradoxical imagery and rhetorical strategies is a testament to Dickinson's unique and innovative approach to poetry.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Doomed-regard the Sunrise: A Masterpiece of Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson, one of the greatest poets of all time, is known for her unique style of writing and her ability to capture the essence of life in her poems. Her poem, The Doomed-regard the Sunrise, is a masterpiece that reflects her deep understanding of the human condition and the inevitability of death.
The poem begins with the line, "The Doomed-regard the Sunrise," which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The word "doomed" suggests that the speaker is aware of their own mortality and that they are resigned to their fate. The word "regard" suggests that the speaker is observing something, in this case, the sunrise, and that they are doing so with a sense of awe and wonder.
The second line of the poem, "With different eyes," suggests that the speaker is seeing the sunrise in a new way, perhaps because they are aware of their own impending death. The use of the word "different" suggests that the speaker's perspective has changed, and that they are now seeing the world in a new light.
The third line of the poem, "And morning docile," suggests that the sunrise is a peaceful and calming experience. The use of the word "docile" suggests that the speaker is in a state of acceptance and that they are at peace with their fate.
The fourth line of the poem, "Climbs, like an innocent," suggests that the sunrise is innocent and pure, and that it is unaffected by the struggles and hardships of life. The use of the word "climbs" suggests that the sunrise is a journey, and that it is slowly making its way up into the sky.
The fifth line of the poem, "And all the angles whiten," suggests that the sunrise is illuminating everything around it, and that it is bringing light to the darkness. The use of the word "angles" suggests that the sunrise is casting light on everything from different angles, and that it is revealing things that were previously hidden.
The sixth line of the poem, "Not subject to betrayal," suggests that the sunrise is pure and untainted, and that it is not subject to the corruption and deceit of the world. The use of the word "betrayal" suggests that the sunrise is trustworthy and reliable, and that it can be counted on to bring light to the darkness.
The seventh line of the poem, "And yet, without offense," suggests that the sunrise is not offensive or harmful in any way, and that it is a peaceful and calming experience. The use of the word "offense" suggests that the sunrise is not causing harm or damage to anything around it, and that it is simply bringing light to the darkness.
The eighth line of the poem, "That liberty of dying," suggests that the sunrise is a symbol of freedom and liberation, and that it is a reminder that death is a natural part of life. The use of the word "liberty" suggests that the sunrise is freeing the speaker from the constraints of life, and that it is allowing them to embrace their own mortality.
The ninth line of the poem, "It undergoes without a pang," suggests that the sunrise is able to endure the hardships of life without feeling pain or suffering. The use of the word "undergoes" suggests that the sunrise is experiencing something, and that it is able to do so without feeling any pain or discomfort.
The tenth and final line of the poem, "And I, for as the dawn," suggests that the speaker is comparing themselves to the sunrise, and that they are seeing themselves as a part of the natural world. The use of the word "dawn" suggests that the speaker is experiencing a new beginning, and that they are embracing their own mortality.
In conclusion, The Doomed-regard the Sunrise is a masterpiece of poetry that reflects Emily Dickinson's deep understanding of the human condition and the inevitability of death. The poem is a reminder that death is a natural part of life, and that it is something that we should embrace rather than fear. The use of language and imagery in the poem is powerful and evocative, and it captures the essence of life in a way that is both beautiful and haunting.
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