Of all the poems so far, 477 has been my favorite so far as analysis and comprehension goes. The first line, “He fumbles at your Soul,” introduces an unnamed entity attempting to access one’s soul, creating a contrast between the more commonly precise interactions typically associated with spiritual experiences and the clumsy, uncertain actions of this being. The speaker then builds intensity through evoking an image of a musician hesitating before playing a piano, suggesting an imminent outpouring of emotion, or in this case, spiritual revelation. This intensity continues to mount as Dickinson prepares the reader’s ” brittle nature” for said revelation (“the etherial Blow”) amidst the sound of “fainter Hammers”, which gets progressively closer and louder as the reader’s “Breath-has time to straighten”. The poem then reaches a climax in the lines “Deals One-imperial Thunderbolt-/That scalps your naked soul-” This vivid imagery of being struck by a thunderbolt implicates a moment of intense enlightenment that is transformative as much as it is overwhelming, capable of even scalping one’s “naked soul”. The transition to “When Winds hold Forests in their Paws-The Universe-is still-” introduces a moment of utter silence and still, a pause of normal activity in the universe. I’m not quite sure what this means, but I interpreted it as the shock that follows the soul’s profound realization, emphasizing the spiritual depth of the experience. The structure of the poem also accentuates its message, where the irregular meter and usage of dashes creates a rhythmic disruption that mirrors the experiences conveyed: it oscillates between feelings of tense anticipation, jarring shock, and self reflection, capturing the complex emotions at play given such a spiritual encounter. (obviously there’s also the possibility that this wasn’t Dickinson’s intent and it could have just been scribbled without any consideration of formal elements, which opens a whole other discussion of poems with unintentional meaning). After reading this poem the first time, I got the impression that I read something pretty deep, and felt like I should have come away with a more profound understanding, which I guess was the point. This is a poem, which, intentionally or not, leaves the reader contemplating the profound impact such moments can have on one’s consciousness, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Grappling with 477
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I also found poem 477 fascinating to unpack and examine. The idea of representing god as playing ones soul like a piano drew me in from the first stanza, as it struck me as quite profound. It gives god a greater role of control than in many other poems, in which God creates people, but then a person has free will to chose between good and evil, heaven or sin. This led me to look into the religious views of Dickinson, who happens to have been a Calvinist, meaning she would have believed in pre-destination. This likely provided the base for Dickinson to imagine the image of God playing one’s mind like a piano and allowing for the creation of striking lines such as, “For the etherial blow | By fainter Hammers -further heard.” The loud sound of the etherial blow really emphasizes this power that God is given in Dickinson’s work. In addition, throughout the poem, Dickinson attributes little agency, but rather describes the more broad concepts such as the Universe, wind, or thunder. She describes the natural world, further demonstrating how little power people had over the God in her poetry.
I really enjoyed reading your analysis of 477. I thought the imagery of thunderbolts was particularly interesting. I believe the “fainter Hammers” – further hear – then nearer- then so – slow” is in reference to the thunder that one hears from farther away but gets closer and closer before there is thunderbolt. I agree with you that the thunderbolt that “scalps your naked soul” seems to be representative of a transformation that one undergoes. Maybe I am taking it too literally, but I wonder if the thunderbolt is representative of death where one’s soul is cleansed. I find it interesting that in only the last stanza, after the soul is scalped, the poem no longer references the “you” that the speaker is talking with in the previous stanzas. I think this could indicate a removal of the “you” from the physical world.