What?

A review for this?

Are you out of your mind?????

This kind of reaction is not uncommon when people encounter something unexpected or seemingly unworthy of a review. It could be that the subject matter is so trivial or uninteresting that it leaves one wondering why anyone would bother to write a review.

However, sometimes a review can serve a purpose even for the most unlikely of things. It might be a way to express one's frustration or amusement, or perhaps to start a conversation about a particular topic.

So, while the initial reaction of "Are you out of your mind?" may seem harsh, it's important to consider the context and the possible reasons behind the review. Maybe there's more to it than meets the eye.

In conclusion, don't be too quick to dismiss a review just because it seems strange or unnecessary. Take a moment to think about what the reviewer might be trying to convey, and you might be surprised by what you discover.

I really tried to be a poetry girlie. I thought it would be so wonderful to be able to understand and appreciate the beauty of poetry.

But alas, when I picked up this collection, I was completely at a loss. I could not comprehend a single line.

It was as if the words were in a foreign language, speaking a language that my mind could not translate.

I stared at each line, hoping that some sort of inspiration or understanding would strike me, but it never did.

I felt a bit disappointed in myself for not being able to connect with the poetry in this collection.

Maybe I just need more time and practice to develop my appreciation for poetry.

But for now, I will have to admit that I am not quite the poetry girlie I hoped to be.

Rating poetry is extremely challenging. In fact, it's so damn hard. There, I've said it out loud. As an English major, I did study Emily Dickinson, but unfortunately, it was all too brief for my liking. So, I made the decision to purchase this small collection of her poetry.

Poetry is such a personal thing. Sometimes, you might really like someone's style, while at other times, it might not appeal to you at all. And then there are those occasions when you can completely fall in love with one poem, but not the very next one. That's precisely what occurred in my case.

Despite this, I still have a strong desire to read more of her work. There's just something about her poetry that keeps drawing me back. It has a certain allure and charm that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it's the way she uses words, or the emotions she conveys. Who knows? All I know is that I'm eager to explore more of her poetic world.

Overall, I would rate this collection a 3.75. It's not perfect, but it has enough to keep me interested and engaged.

Emily Dickinson is truly one of my all-time favorite poets. She holds the title of the gothic queen of poetry, and at times, her work strongly evokes the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe. While her poems may not be as macabre or fantastical as Poe's, they do share a common thread of dark romanticism.

What sets Dickinson apart is the deeply morose tone that pervades her writing. Having suffered from severe depression for much of her life, her pessimistic outlook on life is palpable within her works. Her words seem to be those of a woman completely disillusioned with the human experience, with little to no light shining through. In her poems, humans are often portrayed as weak, self-destructive, and at times, even evil and hellish. The darkness seems to conquer all, leaving little room for hope.

One of the most prominent themes in Dickinson's poetry is death. She was utterly obsessed with it, and it recurs time and time again throughout her body of work. Given that she spent most of her life in solitude, it's perhaps not surprising that her poetry delved into such dark and profound topics.

Take, for example, her famous poem "Because I could not stop for Death." In this poem, the speaker is accepting of her mortality, as if death is just another part of the journey. The words are calm and almost serene, as she describes her ride in Death's carriage, passing through the surrounding scenery and observing children playing. It's a powerful reminder that death comes for everyone, and there's no escaping it.

Dickinson also has a unique way of characterizing God in her poetry. She portrays him as a reckless and almost careless deity, not the kind and forgiving figure that many people believe in. At the moment of death, God fumbles at your soul, leaving you stunned and scalped.

Overall, Dickinson's poetry is a beautiful and profound exploration of the human condition. Her unique style and ability to dance between opposing ideas make her work open to interpretation and debate. While her poetry may not leave you feeling uplifted, it will certainly leave you with a newfound appreciation for the power of words and the mysteries of life and death.

Emily Dickinson, also known as the woman who has made me love poetry as a way of life. She has changed my life so much that I am even writing my own poems. Calm down, they will never see the light, I still have some self-esteem.

My relationship with Dickinson began in summer and I'm not afraid to say that this poetry collection took me more than four months to finish. The poetry collection follows the chronological order of the author's writing, and the fact that at first I thought it could be read like any other poetry collection led me to put the work aside for a while. When I picked it up again, I realized that I enjoyed it much more when I read only a few poems a day.

Dickinson's poems are highly influenced by nature, such as trees, birds, flowers... All kinds of nature were something magical for the author, something that somehow infects you. She also had many other reflections and experiences of her life and many poems about God. Similarly, no poem chosen in this collection is superfluous or written worse than the previous one.

Undoubtedly, my favorite poetry collection at the moment, and yet I thought that classic poems were not for me. I will continue reading and looking for new literary works like this. Totally recommendable.

I try. I really, really try.

But no matter how hard I attempt, I just don't seem to understand poetry.

I'm sure this is a 5 star book. The words are carefully crafted, the rhythm is likely beautiful, and the emotions it conveys are probably profound.

However, for some reason, it just doesn't click with me.

Maybe it's because I'm not used to the abstract nature of poetry or perhaps I lack the necessary literary background.

But despite its supposed excellence, I don't want to ever read it again.

The experience of reading it was just too frustrating for me.

I prefer more straightforward forms of literature that I can easily understand and enjoy.

Poetry, it seems, is not for me.

“If I read a book and my body freezes to the point that there is no fire that can warm it, then I know that is poetry. If I physically feel as if they are ripping the top off my skull, I know that is poetry.” This powerful statement by an unknown author beautifully captures the essence of how poetry can have a profound and visceral impact on us.

Poetry has the remarkable ability to touch our souls and stir emotions within us that are otherwise dormant. It can transport us to different worlds, make us feel intense joy or sorrow, and even cause physical sensations. When we read a truly great poem, it's as if our bodies and minds become one with the words on the page.

Whether it's the freezing cold that descends upon us or the feeling of our very being being torn open, these experiences are what make poetry so unique and valuable. It allows us to explore the depths of our humanity and connect with something greater than ourselves. So the next time you pick up a book of poetry, be prepared to be swept away by its magic and discover a whole new world within.

I'm extremely glad that I have finally completed this task. I have a deep-seated fear that I am simply too intellectually challenged to fully understand Emily's unique style of writing. As a result, I couldn't make sense of the vast majority of these poems. This has been a truly arduous process for me, and it has taken a whopping seven months to finally reach the end.

Death.

Darkness.

Trees and wind.

Cold.

Loneliness.

Nature.

Sparrows and Robins.

Keepsakes.

Ribbons.

A breath in time.

Midnight.

Hurt and heaven.

Flies and blue bottles.

Loss and grief.

“Hope is the thing with feathers.”

A tiny little pocketbook of poems lies before me. It is a world unto itself, filled with the essence of life and all its emotions. While Poe’s “Raven” is my favorite poem, Dickinson has always remained my favorite poet. Her words have the power to touch the deepest recesses of my soul.

In this pocketbook, I find myself lost in a realm of death and darkness, yet also in the beauty of nature. The sparrows and robins add a touch of life, while the keepsakes and ribbons hold memories dear.

Midnight is a time of reflection, a moment when hurt and heaven collide. The flies and blue bottles are a reminder of the passing of time and the inevitability of loss and grief.

But through it all, there is hope, like a tiny bird with feathers, fluttering in the wind.

Dickinson’s poems are a source of inspiration and comfort, a guide through the maze of life’s emotions.

Emily Dickinson's poems are often difficult to understand without the help of an interpretation book. Her works can be both morbid and funny, and the themes of immortality, eternity, and death with religious overtones are pervasive throughout.

What's more, her poems are original in layout. Despite the challenges, I still enjoyed several of her poems, especially "I'm Nobody."

In this poem, she begins with the line "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" This simple yet powerful question immediately grabs the reader's attention. She then goes on to say, "Are you - Nobody - Too?" creating a sense of connection and kinship with the reader.

The poem continues with the lines "Then there's a pair of us? Don't tell! they'd advertise - you know!" Here, Dickinson seems to be suggesting that being nobody is a secret that should be kept, perhaps because it is a source of freedom and individuality.

In the second stanza, she contrasts the idea of being nobody with the idea of being somebody. She writes, "How dreary - to be - Somebody! How public - like a Frog - To tell one's name - the livelong June - To an admiring Bog!" This vivid imagery of a frog croaking its name in a bog emphasizes the idea that being somebody can be tiresome and unfulfilling.

Overall, "I'm Nobody" is a thought-provoking poem that challenges our notions of identity and success. It reminds us that there is value in being true to ourselves, even if it means being nobody in the eyes of the world.

Some of my favorites are these beautiful poems.

64

"Heart! We will forget him!" begins, with a sense of determination. The poet and her heart decide to forget someone that night. The heart may forget the warmth he gave, while the poet will forget the light. It's a poignant exploration of trying to move on.

87

In this one, "They have not chosen me" is a brave and broken-hearted statement. It's as if Jesus himself is speaking, sharing his dishonor with a daisy.

269

"Wild nights - Wild nights!" sets a passionate tone. The poet imagines being with someone in those wild nights, considering it a luxury. The idea of being done with the compass and chart, rowing in Eden, and longing to moor in that person is truly evocative.

278

The thought that a word is dead when said by some, but the poet believes it just begins to live on that day is a unique perspective on language and communication.

814

"Soto! Explore thyself!" encourages self-discovery, suggesting that within oneself lies an "Undiscovered Continent" that no settler has had the mind to explore.

829

The image of a sea between the poet's country and others, yet flowers negotiating as a ministry, creates a beautiful contrast and a sense of connection.

867

The poet feels a cleaving in her mind, as if her brain had split. She tries to join the thoughts but fails, with the sequence ravelling out like balls on a floor.

884

The concept of waiting an hour being long if love is just beyond, and waiting eternity being short if love rewards the end, plays with the perception of time and love.

982

"If I can stop one Heart from breaking" is a powerful and selfless statement. The poet feels her life will not be in vain if she can ease the pain of others, whether it's a life in aching or a fainting robin.

1392

"Love's stricken 'why'" is all that love can speak, built of just a syllable, yet it can break the hugest hearts. These poems truly capture the essence of love, loss, self-discovery, and more.

If I can stop one Heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain.

If I can ease one Life the Aching,

Or cool one Pain,

That used to be the motto in my classroom some years back. We are a community of people populating the planet, and we cannot just look for our own pleasure and gain. We must look after each other as well to find true meaning in life. Emily Dickinson was one of the most quotable poets in Middle School in that respect.

When we talked about the hopelessness of certain situations, we ended up talking about "hope, that thing with feathers". When we talked about human desire, fear and love, we read "Wild Nights, Wild Nights" and talked about the luxury of feeling connections beyond the ordinary.

When we spoke about mainstream opinions and our own perception of reality, we dwelled for hours on my favourite poem in her collection:

"Much Madness is divinest Sense —

To a discerning Eye —

Much Sense — the starkest Madness —

'Tis the Majority

In this, as All, prevail —

Assent — and you are sane —

Demur — you're straightway dangerous —

And handled with a Chain —"

Assent and you are sane? Demut and be handled with a chain? I believe it is time to put this poem up as a reminder on classroom doors next to the call for compassion and love. Beware of mass opinions. The collective sanity is madness in disguise.

Today I reread the whole Emily Dickinson collection in one sitting - which is a very strange thing to do. You feel inundated with words that are light as feathers and heavy as the world Atlas carried on his shoulders. But closing the book, hope is restored. There are words that soothe, even when they talk of loss:

"I lost a world the other day.

Has anybody found?

You ’ll know it by the row of stars

Around its forehead bound.

A rich man might not notice it;

Yet to my frugal eye

Of more esteem than ducats.

Oh, find it, sir, for me!"

It is between the lines in Emily Dickinson's poems, if you look carefully!