Emily Dickinson "The Last Night That She Lived"
I'm having a bit trouble analyzing this poem I was hoping u guyz cud help. The poem is pasted below. To me when i read it, the poem seems to b abt a female who died and the family or people close to her are reminiscing.
THE LAST night that she lived,
It was a common night,
Except the dying; this to us
Made nature different.
We noticed smallest things,—
Things overlooked before,
By this great light upon our minds
Italicized, as ’t were.
That others could exist
While she must finish quite,
A jealousy for her arose
So nearly infinite.
We waited while she passed;
It was a narrow time,
Too jostled were our souls to speak,
At length the notice came.
She mentioned, and forgot;
Then lightly as a reed
Bent to the water, shivered scarce,
Consented, and was dead.
And we, we placed the hair,
And drew the head erect;
And then an awful leisure was,
Our faith to regulate.
The 2nd stanza seems to b like the family noticed things they never did before as one does after he/she loses something of theirs. Could someone please explain the line "By this great light upon our minds, Italicized, as ’t were." Im abit confused abt this.
The 3rd stanza seems to b saying that they were jealous of other ppl and their families, how they lived and this person close to them had to pass away.
Im really confused abt the 4th stanza, wt do they mean by narrow time?little time?
Again 5th and 6th stanza im totally confused abt. Is this poem a free verse or a blank verse? Can feet be counted here? I counted 3,3,3,2 feet in the first stanza. Also is this poem a iambic, trochaic, dactylic, anapestic or spondiac? AS you can see im a bit confused, ne help wud b much appreciated thx. Umm cud it b that EMily Dickinson is actually writing about herself here? Saying what life would be like if she had passed away. What does "quite" mean in "while she must finish quite"? Am I completely off on all my analysis.
Thx in advance
Confused and relieved at the same time...
Im in the 10th grade and i am in a writing class...i was looking for some edgar allen poe poems and then thought to myself..''hey why not try emily dickesin'' and so i did...and as i searched i came apon this poem on a website i found.I saw this poem and i decided i would write about it.I have to write in a journal every week and at the end of the week i have to read it to the class..well anyways..i read this poem over and over and i just couldnt figure out what it ment...so i was very fortunate to find this forum, and this post explaining what it means..BUT! im still confused..and with only tonight to finish my journal, i have to explain it in my own words..i just thought i (wow i wrote alot) might as well share this with you people...