Emily Dickenson: Poem 519 Analysis

Emily Dickenson:  Poem 519 Analysis

519

This is my letter to the World

That Never wrote to Me-

The simple News that Nature told-

With tender Majesty

Her Message is committed

To Hands I cannot see-

For love of Her-Sweet-countrymen-

Judge tenderly-of Me

 

                When working with poetry, there are a variety of tools that we, as the readers, can use in order to work with the text.  Just as one would not attempt to construct a home without having the proper tools, so too should we approach poetry with both the tools, as well as a plan, in which to work with.  The tools that we will be utilizing in deconstructing this text are examining first impressions and exploring the line structures.

                The first tool that we will use to work with this Dickenson text is exploring first impressions.  This is a subjective method that is unique to the individual working with the poem.  This method of approaching literature is a common reading strategy that is implemented in secondary education classrooms across the country.  Dr. Roy Fox uses this method for projects that he deems as “Difficulty Papers.” 

                Upon reading poem 519 I am immediately asking questions.  Emily Dickenson is writing a letter to “the World.”  What is this world which she is writing to?  Is this “world” the world of people, or the natural world?  Also, why would we, as the readers, judge Emily Dickenson?  For writing a letter to the world? Who are the sweet countrymen?   It is easy to see how the average reader would be puzzled when first approaching this text.

                Thus, we must next examine this text with a second tool; exploring line structures.  Once again, we will examine the selected word “World.”  Is this word in reference to people or nature?  Line two suggests that Emily is writing to this “world” that never wrote back.  While it would be easy for readers to assume that since the entity did not write back that ‘world’ must mean people.   In literature, this is not always true.  Perhaps nature is simply being personified in this instance?  Further examination of the poem reveals this to be the case.  “The simple news that nature told, with tender majesty.”  The answer to our first question has now been answered.  World in this instance is in reference to the natural world, which is being personified with idea of nature speaking tenderly. 

                The next two lines reads “Her message is committed to hands I cannot see.”  What students can deduce from this is that nature has a message of some sort.  However, the sixth line suggests that this is a hidden message.  A message that the reader/writer is not to know of.  Again, we are presented with questions about what the message is and why it is hidden. 

The final two lines read “For love of her-Sweet-countrymen, judge tenderly-of me.”  This is perhaps the trickiest part for us to grasp.  With a quick reading of these lines, it would be easy for the reader to come away with the false understanding of nature having sweet countrymen.  However, a close examination of the syntax reveals that the line is broken up, intentionally.  We must first ask ourselves who is being judged?  This is one of the easier aspects to pick out due to the manner of the syntactical use of the “-“.  It is revealed that it is Dickenson who is being judged.  We can now go back and see that this same implementation of the “-“ is used in the preceding line indicating that the one who is judging is Dickenson’s countrymen, not natures countrymen. 

It is after responding to the poem through our first impressions and examining the word choices line-by-line that we can begin to build a bigger picture of this poem.  These are strategies that can be used for anybody that struggles with reading poetry, as well as those looking to dig beneath the surface.  While these are not the absolute best methods that must always be used when examining poetry, they are basic methods that can be used in order to make complex texts more approachable.