Alysha's Poetry Presentation

The last night she lived by Emily Dickinson

The last night she lived,
It was a common night,
Except the dying; this to us
Made nature different.

We noticed smallest things, --
Things overlooked before,
By this great light upon our minds.
Italicized, as 't were.

The others could exist,
While she must finish quite,
A jealousy for her arose,
So nearly infinite.

We waited while she passed;
It was a narrow time,
Too jostled were our souls to speak,
At length the notice came.

She mentioned, and forgot;
Then lightly as a reed
Bent to the water, shivered scarce,
Consented, and was dead.

And we, we placed the hair,
And drew the head erect;
And then and awful leisure was,
Our faith to regulate.

Thesis:Emily Dickinson uses tone, imagery and point of view to present her views on death and the afterlife.

About the Author:Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10, 1830. Emily lived a mostly reserved and isolated life growing up. She was said to be thought as an eccentric by the locals in her town. Only fewer than a dozen of her poems were said to be published. Emily continued to write until just before her death on May 15, 1886. She died of Bright's disease which is in your kidneys, in which she had for two and a half years. Before her death she made her sister promise to burn her papers; which she did...mostly. In the end she wrote nearly eighteen hundred poems.


Questions:
1. What do you think is meant by the second stanza?

2. What lines in the poem do you think use imagery?

3. What do you think she meant by this statement "A jealousy for her arose, So nearly infinite."?

4. Who do you think this poem is referring to?

5. Do you think the poem's tone is consistent throught the whole poem?

6. What is your attitude toward dying? If so will you accept death gracefully or try and fight it?