Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Dying! To be afraid of thee" by Emily Dickinson delves into the existential questions surrounding death, love, and the emotional implications of their inextricable link. The poem's poignant setting appears to be a battlefield where love and death are combatants. Though relatively brief, it examines complex themes, thus showcasing Dickinson's mastery of language and metaphor.

The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABCCBA for the first stanza, and ABBCCA for the second stanza. The variance in rhyme scheme is a typical stylistic choice for Dickinson, reinforcing the nuanced themes she is examining.

The first stanza presents the idea that the terror of dying is intensified when one has left "exposed a Friend"-perhaps a beloved person whose life is emotionally connected to the speaker's own. The "Arrow" of death is described as a "Shot / Delivered straighter to the Heart," impacting not just the individual who dies, but those they leave behind. The true damage is not the physical cessation of life, but the emotional void left by "leaving Love behind."

The second stanza deepens this idea. The "Dust" seems to be a metaphor for the corporeal body or physical existence. It isn't "shy" of death, but the "Batteries divorce" indicates the emotional severance that occurs when one dies. Here, the "enemy" is not just death, but also the absence of love, or "Beloved," which death creates. The stanza closes with an evocative image: "Two Armies, Love and Certainty / And Love and the Reverse." The "Dying eye" becomes a battlefield where conflicting forces-love that wants to hold on and the inevitable certainty of death-clash.

Interestingly, Dickinson uses military terms like "Artillery," "Arrow," "Shot," "Batteries," and "Armies," likening the emotional experience of death and love to a battlefield. This reflects the emotional violence and turmoil in such circumstances, further heightened by the use of words like "exposed," "Divorce," and "Fight sternly."

In terms of historical and cultural context, it is worth noting that Dickinson lived during a time when the mortality rate was high due to diseases and lack of medical advancement. Her own life was marred by numerous losses. Her keen awareness of the fragility of life could have influenced this poem.

In summary, "Dying! To be afraid of thee" serves as a multi-layered contemplation of how love complicates our relationship with mortality. It suggests that the physical act of dying may be far less agonizing than the emotional and spiritual complexities it leaves in its wake, particularly for those who must continue to live and love in the absence of the departed.

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