While I was reading, the fact that Dickinson never intended most of her poems to be published added an intriguing layer to my understanding of her as a poet. This privacy can be seen as both a reflection of her reclusive lifestyle and a literary strategy that allowed her the freedom to explore complex, unconventional ideas (at the time) without concern for public reaction or editorial influence. This can be seen in her introspection and analysis of her changing womanhood and identity as a married woman in #225, or her subtle critique of worldly power and prestige (Diadems and Doges) amidst the inevitability of death and the absolute isolation of the eternal universe in #124. In this vein, those poems may have been a form of introspection or a means of grappling with concepts that fascinated or troubled her. This could explain the depth of thought, the density of symbolism, and the complexity of themes in her poetry, which continue to warrant analysis and interpretation. To me, her poems are amazing because they are so intensely private yet universally relatable—even though a vast majority was never meant to see the light of day. This makes me consider the essence of poetry and the role of the poet. Is poetry inherently a public art form meant for sharing, or can it also be a private dialogue with oneself? I’d love to know what you all think!
Dickinson and the role of poetry
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Your question is something I also ask myself. As all forms of art – are they meant to be seen by others or should they be kept to oneself to truly bring out the the true, unfiltered inner voice, free from the fear of judgement? I guess my answer is that it can be both, and that it should be both.
A particularly specific scenario is if when a poet writes a poem that is meant to be read by a love interest – the poet would usually be extremely concerned with how the reader feels about their poem, and so there’s that extraneous attempt to tailor the writing so that they can communicate an important emotion or idea to the subject of the poem. That can be a powerful motivator. In such cases, the poet imagines themselves as the reader to really decide if their poems is strong enough. On the other hand, for a private poem, that fear isn’t prominent, as there is no one that needs to understand the piece as deeply as the poet themselves already does.
There is that push to be true to one’s inner voice, and there is also that push to reach out to other minds. Both are necessary to really fulfill that human experience.