Poem 1100 critical analysis
The opening line of the poem ‘The last Night that She lived’ straightaway gives suggestions of death and also a sense of sexual connotations. Known to studiers of Dickinson, she was involved in many brief encounters with men whom she may have deemed important in her life. Alongside this, it is thought that she may have also been involved in secret relationships with other women such as her brother’s ex-wife. This is what makes the first line so intriguing for the reader. Capitalising the two important words in that sentence (Night and She) gives the reader a sense of Dickinson having a story to tell- one that no one is exposed to as it happens at ‘Night’, hidden from the eyes of anybody who may have been involved in Dickinson’s day life. The capitalisation of ‘She’ can be said to have a few reasons; one being the idea that Dickinson may have been a feminist and thus believing that women deserve an equal representation in life as well as in her poems. Or this capitalisation could represent the importance of this female in Dickinson’s life but the importance may be something Dickinson doesn’t want to publically announce as for a fear of negative stigma (knowing that there was a chance that her poems may one day be published) however she may have been comfortable enough within herself and her own beliefs to express her true feelings. Such phrases are used throughout the poem which gives across the idea to the reader that Dickinson may have been experiencing some sexual desires of frustrations that she could only get through writing (as she never or hardly left her house) but there could be another side to her sexual phrases....the common theme of Death in Dickinson’s poems can also be thought to be depicted in this poem. Dickinson may have begun to come tired of her direct talks of death and may have decided to hide her true thoughts behind