I measure every Grief I meet- Emily Dickinson

I measure every Grief I meet With narrow, probing, eyes – I wonder if It weighs like Mine – Or has an Easier size. I wonder if They bore it long – Or did it just begin – I could not tell the Date of Mine – It feels so old a pain – I wonder if it hurts to live – And if They have to try – And whether – could They choose between – It would not be – to die – I note that Some – gone patient long – At length, renew their smile – An imitation of a Light That has so little Oil – I wonder if when Years have piled – Some Thousands – on the Harm – That hurt them early – such a lapse Could give them any Balm – Or would they go on aching still Through Centuries of Nerve – Enlightened to a larger Pain – In Contrast with the Love – The Grieved – are many – I am told – There is the various Cause – Death – is but one – and comes but once – And only nails the eyes – There's Grief of Want – and grief of Cold – A sort they call "Despair" – There's Banishment from native Eyes – In sight of Native Air – And though I may not guess the kind – Correctly – yet to me A piercing Comfort it affords In passing Calvary – To note the fashions – of the Cross – And how they're mostly worn – Still fascinated to presume That Some – are like my own – (Laura) In Emily Dickinson's "I measure every grief I meet" the theme revolves around a reason of death, in which this case is grief. The reason ultimately leads to certain people being overwhelmed by despair that is brought onto them. Some are forced to carry this weight on their shoulders until they are six feet under the stars, while others get off more easily only have a small portion of the agony that grief brings to us all. The speaker also explains that you have to realize that there is someone out there that is going through the exact same obsticals that you are and that you are not alone. The poem does have an affect on me because the idea of being along in a situation is an extremely common feeling and forcing yourself to realize that you are not the only one that is weighed down with self-inflicting problems can be difficult. (Chelsea) In her poem, "I measure every grief I meet," Dickinson develops the theme of death by questionable grief through the use of diction and imagery. The speaker in the poem reflects curiousity, but also expresses to the reader that they are in a state of depression. Dickinson writes in the third stanza, "I wonder if it hurts to live – And if They have to try –." In the first lines of the third stanza, the speaker questions if others suffer the same pain from the grievances they bare. The speaker cannot overcome grief, but only measure it in great depth through not only theirself but in everyone they meet as well. In my personal reflection on the poem, I believe that everyone has grievances to bear. In my experience, depression from unfortunate circumstances is never the right direction. I have been in a state of severe depression twice. Due to previous events in my life, my mindset has altered. When someone is questioning other peoples pain and comparing it to their own, death is sometimes considerable in their mind. Dickinson's speaker expresses severe depression and question about life. I believe everyone goes through the state Dickison's speaker goes through at one point in lfe.

Fame is a fickle food-Emily Dickinson

Fame is a fickle food Upon a shifting plate Whose table once a Guest but not The second time is set. Whose crumbs the crows inspect And with ironic caw Flap past it to the Farmer's Corn – Men eat of it and die. (Laura) In Emily Dickinson's poem "Fame is a Fickle Food" once again the theme eventually is summed up by death. When trying to reach fame, a person will go to wild extremes simply to be noticed. The start of the poem symbolizes a person receving say, fifteen minutes of fame only to soon be dissapointed that the next time around that their minutes are up and the spot light is no longer focused to them. If you are trying to live the lifestyle of the famous you may die trying only being mocked along your travels by critics and peers who have little faith in you and you may never reach your goal. This poem does not necessarily affect me because I am not attention crazed nor out strictly to become famous poasted up on someone's wall as a poster. My expectations in life are more realistic though just like any other human being, of course I have dreams. (Chelsea) In her poem, "Fame is a Fickle Food," Dickinson writes of death by fortune. She relates fame, popularity, riches, etc as a pathway to death. Dickinson views people that live off of fame and popularity as a dyeing fad. Individuals that try so much to be accepted and praised forget the importance of life. Although Dickinson's poem is short, the theme and moral is quite prominant. One month's fad is another months drab, as fashion experts would say. In relation to that, Dickinson develops the idea that Riches and Fame are not the ways to happiness. Maybe at first, yes, but in the long run they only lead to death and misfortune. Im not particulary affected by this poem, but I recognize the idea Dickinson has placed within it. The idea of Fame is still widely dreampt upon. As well as in Dickinson's poem, modern day shows realistics of fame. The "crows" or paparazzi. The temptation brought by such high hopes for people with fame. Tempation of drug usage, depression, general bad ideals. Fame is a neverending rollercoaster of depression and oncoming death. At first Fame doesn't seem so bad, but the realities are worse than what is shown publically.

Knows how to forget!-Emily Dickinson

Knows how to forget!
But could It teach it?
Easiest of Arts, they say
When one learn how

Dull Hearts have died
In the Acquisition
Sacrificed for Science
Is common, though, now —

I went to School
But was not wiser
Globe did not teach it
Nor Logarithm Show

"How to forget"!
Say — some — Philosopher!
Ah, to be erudite
Enough to know!

Is it in a Book?
So, I could buy it —
Is it like a Planet?
Telescopes would know —

If it be invention
It must have a Patent.
Rabbi of the Wise Book
Don't you know?

(Laura)

In Dickinson's "Knows How to Forget" there appears to be a hidden theme of death. When a person is trying so hard to forget something, normally the reasoning is because that something has caused some sort of pain in that person's life. A very hard thing to forget is when you lose a loved one and there is no way of knowing the trick to forgetting. In the poem, the speaker questions many different sources about what the knowledge of forgetting is, but there is no answer. When someone is lost, they are lost forever, and forgetting that is nearly impossible. There is no guidance for a person to forget something  has happened, especially not death.

This poem has an extremely strong affect on me because I have been a victim to losing someone that was very dear to me. The hardest thing to do is to forget that they are gone and they are not comeing back. Your life must go on without them, but they will always be a part of you, you will never forget.



(Chelsea)
In her poem, Dickinson questions how someone could possibly forget. In her poem, the speaker asks the question, "how to forget?" to every possible source, but cannot find a proper answer. In my analysis of the poem, I relate the poem with death. Death is nearly impossible to forget. The idea of forgetting something is false hope. No single person could possibly forget, but only put away the event or memory temporarily in their mind. You can only overcome what is meant to be forgotten. Dickinson's speaker questions about how to forget, and helps the reader understand that their is no actual way to forget.

The poem has a strong affect on me, because there is many things that I have wanted to forget and could not possibly place out of my mind. E.D. poem makes me understand a little more that you can never actually force something out of your mind, its forever there. You have to overcome and overtime place further, and further in the back of your mind.