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"My life closed twice before its close" by Emily Dickinson

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"My life closed twice before its close" by Emily Dickinson

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My life closed twice before its close -
It yet remains to see
if Immortality unveil
A third event to me

So huge, so hopeless to conceive
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.

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1. What is the poem’s tone? Which words reveal this tone? Is the poem ironic? (Uy)

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1. What is the poem’s tone? Which words reveal this tone? Is the poem ironic? (Uy)

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The tone of the poem is reminiscent and despairing. Throughout the poem, Dickinson remembers how "as these that twice befell" (Dickinson 5) which references those in her life who had passed, including two close friends and her parents. She wanted to honor and remember who they were to her as well as the unfortunate death of all of them. However, Dickinson also expresses her despair regarding the death of these loved ones. Dickinson exclaims, "Parting is all we know of heaven, And all we need of hell" (7-8) as she realizes where her loved ones are going and where she has to stay. When her family and friends die, they go straight to heaven (according to Dickinson, who was very religious). However, she is forced to say here in this "hell" as she is the one who is alive or experiencing "immortality." She is experiencing many things that can be felt in hell including the suffering, loneliness, and hopelessness she is feeling without her loved ones there. She does not know what to do or how to continue going on as everyone around her dies. Dickinson reminisces about her loved ones, yet is in despair about how death has come to those she cared about the most and left her behind. The poem is ironic since Dickinson speaks about the "immortality" she has while no human is truly immortal; instead, immortality is being used as a symbol to present her extensive length of life compared to her loved ones.

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8. How important is the contribution of form, such as rhyme scheme and line arrangement? How does form influence the overall effect of the poem? (Uy)

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8. How important is the contribution of form, such as rhyme scheme and line arrangement? How does form influence the overall effect of the poem? (Uy)

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In the poem, Dickinson uses a form where rhyming occurs with lines 2 and 4 with the words "see" and "me" and also lines 6 and 8 with the words "befell" and "hell" which is ABCB. Furthermore, the line arrangement is that the first line has eight syllables, then the next line has six syllables and that pattern repeats for the rest of the poem. The form of the rhymes contributes to the overall effect of the poem as it connects the ideas in the poem. "See" and "me" help to connect the main idea of the first stanza of the challenges that life is bringing for her to face while the words "befell" and "hell" summarize the second stanza which has the ideas of the suffering she has by being alive rather than hell where the dead people are. Lastly, the line arrangement of the syllables helps contribute to the overall effect of the poem by causing the poem to flow better. The 8 syllable sentence introduces a crucial point to the meaning of this poem, while the 6 syllable sentence helps to reinforce the ideas of the previous sentence. For example, Dickinson states "So huge, so hopeless to conceive" (5) describing how tough her life is becoming, and then follows up with "like these that twice befell" (6). Line 6 demonstrates why her life is becoming hopeless; in this case, it is the death of two of her close loved ones. Therefore, the rhyme scene ABCB and line arrangement via syllables helps to enhance the overall meaning of the poem.

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4. What figures of speech are used? How do they contribute to the tone and meaning of the poem? (Jonathan)

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4. What figures of speech are used? How do they contribute to the tone and meaning of the poem? (Jonathan)

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Personification is used in order to show immortality's physical and mental pain it has on oneself. The poem states, "... if Immortality unveils..." (Dickinson 3). Because the speaker lost two close friends/family members, they compare another loss to eternal pain and suffering. Relating to Emily Dickinson's life, several important people passed away. The trauma from the loss of her friends and family (including parents) made her feel happiness had been snatched away by an external power, yet it showed that she was the one who had to be left behind. Her destiny to stay behind and deal with those who had been taken away from her was unveiled, or shown, to her. Furthermore, the line "A third event to me" (4) foreshadows the loss of another close friend/family member, showing that the speaker expects their "immortality" to bring about more pain. These lines further contribute to the meaning of the poem as it reveals how Dickinson has suffered throughout her life. Heartbreak after heartbreak from death shows how Dickinson may have been influenced to write this poem.

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5. Are there any symbols? What do they mean? (Jonathan)

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5. Are there any symbols? What do they mean? (Jonathan)

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The poem symbolizes immortality as the remains of ones's  lives after death. In this case, "if Immortality unveil a third event..." (Dickinson 3-4) the speaker would only go through more pain and suffering instead of eternal happiness and peace. After already losing two close friends/family members, immortality would bring upon a living hell. Similarly, Emily Dickinson had lost two older male friends and parents. Immortality is where Emily is; she is the only one alive and has to deal with the suffering of other people's deaths. Others did not have immortality (which is supposably a good thing) but those who have "immortality" are forced to live through the darkness of death in life. She uses this poem to express the pain she goes through every day as she has to live through the fact that her closest of friends and family are gone.