Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Because that you are going," by Emily Dickinson, is an intricate exploration of love, loss, and the spiritual implications of each. Like many of Dickinson's works, this poem is rife with profound contemplations and complicated metaphors, emphasizing existential themes in relation to the interplay between love and mortality.

The poem begins with an acknowledgment of separation: "Because that you are going / And never coming back." These lines set the stage for the subsequent pondering about mortality and existence. The speaker reveals a sense of urgency, as if the separation (possibly because of death) has forced a reevaluation of life's fundamentals. This poignant moment is "suspended / Above Mortality," suggesting that the emotions experienced during separation become universal truths that surpass ordinary life.

The phrase "Significance that each has lived / The other to detect" underlines the monumental impact that the loved one has had on the speaker. In their absence, "Discovery not God himself / Could now annihilate," meaning that the significance of their relationship is so immense that even divine power cannot erase it. The use of the word "annihilate" is strong, underscoring the irrevocable importance of their mutual experience.

"Eternity, Presumption / The instant I perceive / That you, who were Existence / Yourself forgot to live-," here the speaker makes a complex proposition that their loved one was so essential to their own existence that the concept of eternity becomes a mere presumption when they are gone. It almost questions the purpose and existence of life and eternity in the absence of the loved one.

The next stanzas deepen this existential crisis, referring to the "Life that is" and the "Life that is to be" as less meaningful without the presence of the loved one. It implies that the speaker's sense of heaven or paradise is intrinsically tied to their relationship with the departed. Even the face of their "Redeemer" is meaningful only if it bears a resemblance to the loved one's face.

Towards the end, Dickinson brings in the concepts of Heaven, Hell, and God, providing a theological lens through which to view this personal tragedy. The speaker questions the "jealous" nature of God and argues that if God is indeed omnipotent, He should be able to "refund us finally / Our confiscated Gods"-meaning the loved ones we lose. This line subtly criticizes traditional religious understanding, presenting an intensely personal form of spirituality based on love and loss.

"Because that you are going" serves as a profound examination of how the experience of love and loss triggers questions about mortality, existence, and even theology. It encapsulates the complexity of human emotion and thought, framed by the departure of a significant person. Dickinson skillfully weaves these existential dilemmas into an intricate fabric of poetic expression, offering no answers but setting the stage for eternal questions.

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