Analysis of Pain in the Poetry of Emily Dickenson

3039 Words13 Pages
| The Poetry of Emily Dickenson: Pain in Poetry | | Emily Dickinson has portrayed and focused repeatedly on pain within several of her poems. It is within this focus and description that we, as the readers, are able to interpret its effects on both the body and the soul. My review of Emily Dickenson’s poetry analyzes her poems and the poetic portrayal of “pain” as both a friend and an enemy. In poem 244, Emily Dickenson presents a comparison between physical and psychological pain. According to poem 806, pain is a state through which the soul gets liberated from the body. The poet also describes the way Doctors struggle with pain and find themselves helpless in front of some kinds of it as in poems 177 and 396. Another phenomenon that is associated with extreme pain is described in poem 599. The poem 244 illustrates how emotional pain prevents any kind of enjoyment or work. It is easy for a person to work when the soul is at play, or when everything is going all right. But, when one is in pain and his thoughts are also dismal or sad from other causes, it is hard to keep on with regular tasks: “It is easy to work when the soul is at play But when the soul is in pain - The hearing him put his playthings up Makes work difficult - then It is simple, to ache in the Bone, or the Rind -- But Gimlets - among the nerve - Mangle daintier - terribler - Like a Panther in the Glove “ The first line of that poem indicates a universal role "It is easy to work when the soul is at play". When a person is feeling well, the body can be a part of working without any difficulty. Both body and soul would then be in harmony. But if the soul is in pain, work becomes very difficult. The soul does won’t allow the person or body put their "playthings up". To stress the importance of emotional pain the speaker makes a comparison between
Open Document