essay

Example: Poetry, often with good reason, breaks conventional rules of writing in punctuation and capitalization. When something happens outside of the standard conventions of writing, it is a signal that the meaning has changed. For example, in Emily Dickinson’s “My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun” she capitalizes the word “We” twice in second stanza (976). While a lowercase “we” is a first person plural, the capitalized “We” is used historically by a King or Queen referring to him or herself as “We.” Once we are aware of this altered meaning, the lines change meaning:

 

And now We roam in Sovereign Woods --

And now We hunt the Doe --

 

The capitalization of “We,” “Sovereign Woods,” and “Doe,” gives each of these special significance as the persona of this poem is declaring herself the ruler of both the woods and the deer with in it, entitling her to the hunt. This gains religious significance in the next line:

 

And every time I speak for Him --

The Mountains straight reply --

 

Capitalized “Him” is almost always a reference to the Judeo-Christian God, and Dickinson’s persona saying that she is speaking “for Him” is again confirming the royalty of the capitalization as the monarch was thought to rule through divine providence, i.e. ordained by God, allowing him or her to speak for the divine on Earth. “The Mountains straight reply --” is telling us that the very Earth understands and respects the divine right of the persona, codifying that she is indeed the speaker for the divine, and the possessor of the Earth itself.  

 

Your Turn: Above is a 250+ word response to an issue of capitalization in Dickinson’s poetry. Use this as a guide. Select either “I taste a liquor never brewed” (975), “The Soul selects her own Society” (977), or “There’s a certain Slant of Light” (987), read it and pick a single stanza from one of those poems. Write a 250+ word response to a single, simple choice that Dickinson makes in her verse, and tell me what does it mean and why does it matter.

 

Use my example as a guide, but find your own interpretation!

 

Due Date: Sunday, April 14th, 2019

Grading: This is extra credit. A complete response will earn you 3 points. A partial response will earn you 1 or 2 points. You can use this to pad your grade or in lue of rewriting.