Q: Make
a critical appreciation on, “I Dwell in Possibility” by Emily Dickinson.
A significant poem “I dwell in Possibility” was written by Emily Dickinson. It was first published four years after Dickinson’s death, in the posthumous collection Poems (1890). In the poem, a speaker juxtaposes her own metaphorical house, called “Possibility,” with an inferior house called “Prose,” making it clear that the poem is meta-poetry—poetry about poetry.
During Dickinson’s lifetime, American literature was evolving with contributions
from writers such as Walt
Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau.
In the poem, the speaker contrasts the
expansive nature of poetry with the limitations of prose. Using the metaphor of
a house, the speaker describes a dwelling with “more numerous of Windows” and “superior – for Doors.” This house represents the boundless
opportunities and freedom that poetry offers. The poem’s final lines emphasize
the speaker’s reverence for this imaginative space, as she identifies herself
as an “Occupation – this the spreading
wide my narrow Hands to gather Paradise.” The poem celebrates the infinite potential
and transformative power of poetic creativity.
In conclusion, Dickinson’s “I dwell in Possibility” offers a powerful reflection on the
transformative power of poetry and imagination. In this poem, Dickinson celebrates the freedom and expansiveness of the poetic mind, likening
it to a welcoming mansion filled with endless possibilities. It celebrates the
boundless creativity and inspiration found within the realm of poetry.
According to Harold Bloom,
“the known and the unknown,
praising Dickinson’s skillful use of imagery to convey the transformative power
of imagination.”
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