The emptiness of human soul frightened delicate impressionist Emily Dickinson. The poetess struggled trough the callous indifference of society. The terrifying meaninglessness of distorted perception made Emily Dickinson to ask herself, whether it is the madness of society, that have forgotten real, sincere feelings, or her madness. The romantic mood of Emily Dickinson depicts the world in her own way: expressively and sincerely. Indifference of the whole epoch is a hard issue presented in the poem “After Great Pain a Formal Feeling comes”.
The spirituality that set a light in society for centuries was not needed anymore in the “Hour of Lead”. The snow symbolizes the cold hearts of careless people. Nevertheless, Dickenson emphasizes the circle of life, the decadence, and hope in rebirth of the social consciousness: “After Great Pain a Formal Feeling comes”, “As freezing person recollect the Snow – First – Chill – then Stupor – then the letting go” (Bloom, 214). The metaphor “recollecting snow” symbolizes the accepting of overpowering disinterest and regained belief in humanity. The ethical controversy, understanding love as a divine conception made Emily Dickinson to deny its simplicity: “Glow plain – and foreign” in the poem “I Cannot Live With You” (Farr, 306).
“The sexton keeps the key” to the author’s love and life is understood as the metaphor to social religiosity, that is a perceptual frame for society, whose distorted understanding of ethical principles ruined spiritual values: “They’d judge us”. Dicknson used oxymoron “sordid excellence” to emphasize meaninglessness of empty moralization, if sincere emotions are denied and misunderstood as unconventional: “Or Life – His Porcelain – Like a Cup – Discarded of the Housewife – Quaint – or Broke – a newer Serves pleases – Old Ones cracked”. The metaphor to “meet apart with door ajar” symbolizes Dickinson’s part in majority of relations - she contacted with people on the distance (Farr, 309).The misperception is expressed by the poetess as a distorted consciousness in the poem “I Felt a Funeral in My Brain” (Farr, 90). Emily Dickinson compares the spiritual dialogue between a person and Universe with the gentle, sacred music that brings cheer, the rhythm, and exchanges the massages. The author emphasizes destructivity and madness of social consciousness that ceases misleading values, while ultimate spirituality of conversation with the Cosmos is experienced: “And Mourners to and fro Kept treading - treading - till it seemed That Sense was breaking through”.
The “toll” symbolizes the eternal authority of God and a man as his follower. Emily Dickinson’s poetry faces such issues as social carelessness, public ignorance, and feeling of loneliness, sincere perception of good and evil that is ready to contribute common ethics. Her poetry brings spirituality of the pure consciousness and connection with the wisdom of the Universe, which is as beautiful as the music. The author’s world perception is unique and unconventional. Such existential issues as person’s loneliness, condemned feelings and decadence of social consciousness in combinatiion with ultimate spirituality, the soul that is ready to hear voices of the Absolute, presented her unique and sincere emotions with the mastership of the word art.
Beyond Obeying, Bred in veins Beyond Obeying, Bred in veins There is a Mind that Shine Forever sheltered, kept Within, Where challenges divine When flight is sin, should be the choice To Spread the broken Wings Unravel, tear, melt and split The Gravity of Sins. The Domes that doomed to hide the SkyFrom Those who came to reach Born Voices - trapped in cupola - The Echo’s not the Speech. Sincere feelings blinds the fate To satisfy the thirst For clear consciousness and truth That vanished for rebirth. Emily Dickinson “After Great Pain a Formal Feeling comes”, “I Felt a Funeral in My Brain” The awakening of social consciousness.
Fear and confusion of misunderstanding.
