This past week we analyzed the poem, I felt a Funeral, in my Brain by Emily Dickinson not only in a simple analytical way, but also in a rhetorical way. When I read poetry, as well as I’m sure other people do this also, I analyze it rhetorically unconsciously. I never knew what it was called so it’s nice to know that what I’ve been doing is an actual, professional method. It was different, however, to consciously go over the poem this way and slowly read each section for a deeper meaning.
We also went over the different types of imagery. In the past, I had always only looked for visual imagery in poems. When I think imagery, I think of a mental picture. But imagery is like the five senses. There is auditory imagery, kinesthetic imagery (movement), tactile imagery (touch), organic imagery (internal sensation), gustatory imagery (taste), and olfactory imagery (smell). In Emily Dickinson’s I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, visual imagery was missing. Looking at this from a reader’s perspective, I missed this. But i was in good company as the rest of my classmates also did not notice this. Since I usually had thought of imagery as being only visible, I was caught off guard by this aspect of the poem. It is important to recognize the different perspectives in a poem because of this.In every poem, there are three perspectives. The writer, the narrator, and the reader. I often forget that the writer and narrator are not always from the same perspective. I normally write poetry based on my own personal experiences and I have friends who do the same. So to write a poem that is not narrated by the writer is a different concept that I will have to get used to. Anyway, it is important to recognize these different voices in each poem.
We also went over the different types of imagery. In the past, I had always only looked for visual imagery in poems. When I think imagery, I think of a mental picture. But imagery is like the five senses. There is auditory imagery, kinesthetic imagery (movement), tactile imagery (touch), organic imagery (internal sensation), gustatory imagery (taste), and olfactory imagery (smell). In Emily Dickinson’s I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, visual imagery was missing. Looking at this from a reader’s perspective, I missed this. But i was in good company as the rest of my classmates also did not notice this. Since I usually had thought of imagery as being only visible, I was caught off guard by this aspect of the poem. It is important to recognize the different perspectives in a poem because of this.In every poem, there are three perspectives. The writer, the narrator, and the reader. I often forget that the writer and narrator are not always from the same perspective. I normally write poetry based on my own personal experiences and I have friends who do the same. So to write a poem that is not narrated by the writer is a different concept that I will have to get used to. Anyway, it is important to recognize these different voices in each poem.