Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Emily Dickinson's "Called Back," the poem serves as a narrative of a near-death experience and the profound realization that accompanies a return to life. This poem echoes themes of mortality, the ephemeral nature of life, and the mysteries of eternity. It engages the reader in a metaphysical journey that leaps from the earthly to the celestial, then back again, only to ponder the vastness that lies ahead.

The poem opens with a paradox: "Just lost when I was saved!" This initial line encapsulates the tension between loss and salvation. The speaker felt the closeness of eternity, thinking that they were on the verge of crossing the threshold from life into an everlasting unknown. However, at that moment, "breath blew back," signaling a return to life. The image of the "disappointed tide" receding underscores the sense of abrupt turnaround, as though even the forces of nature were taken aback by this change in fate. It's as if the speaker was being pulled by a tide into the ocean of eternity, only to be pushed back at the last moment.

The second stanza brings a sense of newfound responsibility or wisdom upon the speaker, who feels like "one returned" with "Odd secrets of the line to tell!" This newfound wisdom could be akin to that of a sailor who has seen foreign lands or a reporter who has come back from "the awful doors / Before the seal!" Here, "the line" could symbolize the boundary between life and death or the earthly and the eternal. There's an implication that having touched the edge of eternity, the speaker has gained knowledge or insights that are both awe-inducing and unnerving.

The third stanza, beginning with "Next time, to stay!" contemplates the inevitability of facing this transition again, but with the knowledge that it will be permanent. The speaker ponders the "things to see / By ear unheard, / Unscrutinized by eye." These lines bring a sense of anticipation and even excitement about the mysteries that eternity holds, things incomprehensible to human senses and understanding.

In the closing lines, "Next time, to tarry, / While the ages steal, -- / Slow tramp the centuries, / And the cycles wheel," there's a contemplation of the vast expanse of time and cycles that seem to await in the afterlife. The speaker anticipates a state of existence unfettered by earthly time, where "ages steal" and "cycles wheel" in a never-ending, cosmic dance.

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century America-a time when religion, philosophy, and scientific discovery were engaged in deep conversations about the nature of life and the hereafter-Dickinson's poem serves as a poignant meditation on the thresholds we cross, knowingly or unknowingly, in our lifetimes. "Called Back" reflects Dickinson's skill at delving into complex themes with brevity and depth, providing readers with a gripping narrative of a metaphysical experience that is at once intensely personal and universally resonant.

In summary, Emily Dickinson's "Called Back" is a compelling narrative of life, death, and the mysteries that hover at the boundaries. The poem captures the tension between the earthly and the eternal, the known and the unknown, blending metaphysical exploration with intimate human emotion. It leaves the reader to ponder not only the mysteries of life and death but also the profound impacts of those rare moments when we come face-to-face with the infinite.

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