Mysticism in the poetry of Emily Dickinson: a theological interpretation
Date
2019-02-21
Authors
Nafi’, Jamal Subhi
Abu Hilal, Randa Hashem
Jayousi, Farah Rasheed
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Abstract
This paper is an attempt to analyze the poetry of Miss Emily Dickinson
(1830-1886) in order to reveal the extent of mysticism in it, and it focuses
on the concept of “theology.” Mysticism involves a deep, almost obsessive,
concern with such problems as death, the existence of the soul, immortality,
the existence of God and heaven, salvation or redemption, etc. The critical
approach was used to analyze some of Dickinson’s major poems. A glance
at her poetry reveals that it shows an extreme preoccupation with the effect
of death and explores various themes such as the nature of the soul, the
problem of immortality, the possibility of faith and the reality of God.
The researchers also tried to reveal the internal and external influences
that shaped Dickinson’s poetry. The paper concluded that the theme of
death was inexhaustible for her. If her poetry seldom became “lyrical,”
seldom departed from the colorless sobriety of its bare iambics and toneless
assonance, it did so most of all when the subject was death. Although
Dickinson’s poetry contains some mystical elements, mystical poetry, in
the traditional sense, at least, is not her special poetic gift.
Description
Keywords
Death , Emily Dickinson , heaven , immortality , mysticism , theology
Citation
TY - JOUR AU - Nafi, Jamal AU - Hashem, Randa AU - Jayousi, Farah PY - 2018/12/01 SP - 95 EP - 126 T1 - MYSTICISM IN THE POETRY OF EMILY DICKINSON: A THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION VL - 11 ER -