Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Emily Dickinson's Defunct" is a poem by Marilyn Nelson, first published in 2011 in her collection "Faster Than Light: New and Selected Poems, 1996-2011." Nelson is a contemporary American poet, born on April 26, 1946, in Cleveland, Ohio. She has published numerous books of poetry and has won many awards for her work, including the Robert Frost Medal, the Poetry Society of America's Shelley Memorial Award, and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize.

Explanation:

The poem is about the legacy of Emily Dickinson, a famous American poet. The speaker imagines Dickinson's spirit watching over her work as it is studied by scholars and read by the public. The poem reflects on the power of art to endure beyond the life of the artist who created it.

Poetic Elements:

• Structure: The poem is a sonnet, with 14 lines and a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG.
• Imagery: The poem uses vivid imagery to describe Dickinson's legacy and the impact of her poetry.
• Tone: The tone of the poem is reverential and respectful, reflecting the admiration and awe that the speaker feels towards Dickinson.
• Personification: The poem personifies Dickinson's spirit, imagining it as a presence that continues to influence the world long after her death.
• Allusion: The poem alludes to Dickinson's famous reclusiveness and the fact that she was not widely recognized during her lifetime.
• Metaphor: The poem compares Dickinson's poetry to a bird that has flown away, emphasizing the idea that her work has a life of its own beyond her physical existence.
• Symbolism: The poem uses the image of a bird to symbolize the ethereal nature of art and the way that it can transcend time and space.

Conclusion:

"Emily Dickinson's Defunct" is a beautiful tribute to one of America's most beloved poets. Through its use of vivid imagery, personification, and metaphor, the poem captures the enduring legacy of Dickinson's work and the way that it continues to inspire and captivate readers around the world.

Poem Snippet:

"What she began has been completed, fledged,

 and flown beyond her sight. She is the tree 

from which a loosened bird took flight, the one 

whose silent wisdom seeded poetry."

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