Emily Dickinson

Poetry lovers and literature students know that American literature and poetry classes would not be complete without studying the works of Emily Dickinson. Known for her dark poetry and extensive use of capitals and dashes, she is considered a powerful figure in American poetry. As someone who is fond of writing that touches gloomy and mysterious topics, I find Emily Dickinson's works quite intriguing and yet, enjoyable to read. Her writing style also famously incorporates punctuations which (in my opinion) add to the dramatic effect of her poems.


I won't go into detail about her life story here. You can google her name on the Internet or pick up a book at the library to find that out yourself. But I wanted to share this poem about her that I found 13 years ago. This was published in The Beacon on May 5, 1995. It takes a humorous look at Emily Dickinson's poetry. I just thought it was well-done for writing that pokes fun at something so serious.

EMILY DICKINSON
by Diane Guyer


I think that if poor Emily
a dose of Prozac had,
the flavor of her Poetry
might not have been so Sad.


Haphazard Capitals would not
appear in Every single Line -
and more Miraculous than that -
the Words would regularly Rhyme.


Those dashes that she's famous for -
in lieu of Punctuation -
would be Replaced by Comma more
with simple Medication.


Black ink from out her Grieving Pen -
O, pain! - O, death! - reclusive Strife -
might sing of Things more Cheerful, then -
if Emily only had a Life.

Interesting, don't you agree? I love the way she mimicked Emily Dickinson's style as she injected humor into the very same subject matter.