Why does— She—

Why does— She—
Write—
Like This?

Because
Women
Have a hard time
Formulating complete
Thoughts

t. illterate
I bet a dumb faggot like you doesn't even read pottery

she wanted a specific pause length, control over the way you work is read is desirable. even if two people pause a different amount of time at each dash, they'll pause the same amount after each dash.
Read it out loud (like you should all poetry) and it'll probably sound right. What piece by her in particular are you thinking of? I'd be glad to take a look at it.

She's so disgusted with excess that her own language turns against itself

Psychologically she's the opposite extreme from Whitman

i used to type like that on AIM

I'm not thinking of any one work in particular, though the last work of her's I read was "Come Slowly—Eden." I'm an English student and the dashes just bug me when reading her poems. I understand that it's a rhythmic thing and they're certainly more abrupt than a period.

Because she is sex...

I hate Dickinson. I don't see anything of worth in her work.

because autism

Like a rhythm thing fa m

I prefer her over Shakespeare

Even the best critical writing on Emily Dickinson underestimates her. She is frightening. To come to her directly from Dante, Spenser, Blake, and Baudelaire is to find her sadomasochism obvious and flagrant. Birds, bees, and amputated hands are the dizzy stuff of this poetry. Dickinson is like the homosexual cultist draping himself in black leather and chains to bring the idea of masculinity into aggressive visibility.

because she is a STRONG, EMPOWERED WOMYN who DEFIES your PATRIARCHAL grammar standards you CISSHIT OPPRESER

Bloom fuck off.

Go away. Calm yourself. Have something to eat. Maybe drink some black coffee. Then come back, and type out something constructive.

What makes you think I am capable of doing any of that?

Who else enjoys em dashes?

I love Whitman but D's far more perceptive. She takes Emerson the fuck apart.

chubba
congratulations. in your own little way (you) too are a frightening bitch.

Em's dashes make me hot

I love em

It denotes when to toke.

en dashes are superior - in every case

I disagree — I think the em dash has its place as well.

That's not Bloom, that's Camille Paglia.

>spaces surrounding dashes
Veeky Forums is an AP Style adherent.

>dad and i get on fine but dont have much in common
>pretty much the only person who asks me about the stuff i read even though lit obviously isnt his thing
>must have mentioned i like dickinson some time and he actually remembered
>gets me a really expensive edition of her collected poems for my birthday
>all the dashes are edited out
>dont know how to tell dad his thoughtful gift is heretical garbage

What edition was that?

i dont know, i buried it in my backyard

Early editions of her poetry were edited to match standard punctuation. It wasn't until the 1950s that a scholar (Johnson) went back and republished all her poems as written. I prefer the dashes, but is a fool who disowned a supposedly nice edition (and gift) of her poems as initially received by the general public.

can someone post some of her best or favorite poems in this thread?

What edition should I get if I want the dashes?

Anything that lists it follows Johnson's edition, or just look inside / read reviews. From reviews, it sounds like the Barnes & Noble Classics series uses the "corrected" punctuation. Back Bay Books has a collected poems that's basically just the poems, with the dashes. I don't really know various publications. I'm looking around now and surprised there's no scholarly collection from Norton or Broadview or something.

I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -
The Stillness in the Room
Was like the Stillness in the Air -
Between the Heaves of Storm -

The Eyes around - had wrung them dry -
And Breaths were gathering firm
For that last Onset - when the King
Be witnessed - in the Room -

I willed my Keepsakes - Signed away
What portion of me be
Assignable - and then it was
There interposed a Fly -

With Blue - uncertain - stumbling Buzz -
Between the light - and me -
And then the Windows failed - and then
I could not see to see -

emily dickinson was more talented and intelligent than you will ever be, you ugly untalented basement fat weebo virgin, go jerk off to hentai

Not this person, but as published by Higginson & Todd:

"Dying"

I heard a fly buzz when I died;
The stillness round my form
Was like the stillness in the air
Between the heaves of storm

The eyes beside had wrung them dry,
And breaths were gathering sure
For that last onset, when the king
Be witnessed in his power.

I willed my keepsakes, signed away
What portion of me I
Could make assignable,– and then
There interposed a fly,

With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz,
Between the light and me;
And then the windows failed and then
I could not see to see.

Note: They changed words (at least in the first edition), and also the way they work around the first two dashes is a blatant subjective interpretation of what that syntax is meant to be. That last part is relevant to OP's question.

Oh man I had never realized how good she was until reading that just now, understanding that the dashes indicated pauses.

yeah i never read dickenson till just reading that right now despite growing up around amherst, that shit goes hard af

Good meatbag you are learning

Safe in their Alabaster Chambers --
Untouched by Morning --
And untouched by Noon --
Lie the meek members of the
Resurrection --
Rafter of Satin -- and Roof of Stone!

Grand go the Years -- in the Crescent --
above them --
Worlds scoop their Arcs --
And Firmaments -- row --
Diadems -- drop -- and Doges --
surrender --
Soundless as dots -- on a Disc of Snow --

(version of 1861)

A Clock stopped --
Not the Mantel's --
Geneva's farthest skill
Can't put the puppet bowing --
That just now dangled still --

An awe came on the Trinket!
The figures hunched, with pain --
Then quivered out of Decimals --
Into Degreeless Noon --

It will not stir for Doctors --
This pendulum of snow --
The shopman importunes it --
While cool -- concernless No --

Nods from the Gilded pointers --
Nods from the Seconds slim --
Decades of Arrogance between
The Dial life --
And Him --

c.1861

This is my letter to the World
That never wrote to Me --
The simple News that Nature told --
With tender Majesty

Her message is committed
To Hands I cannot see --
For love of Her -- Sweet -- countrymen --
Judge tenderly -- of Me

1862

impressive self awareness!

my fav:
The Brain, within its Groove
Runs evenly--and true--
But let a Splinter swerve--
'Twere easier for You--

To put a Current back--
When Floods have slit the Hills--
And scooped a Turnpike for Themselves--
And trodden out the Mills--

the classic:
Because I could not stop for Death —
He kindly stopped for me —
The Carriage held but just Ourselves —
And Immortality.

We slowly drove — He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility —

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess — in the Ring —
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain —
We passed the Setting Sun —

Or rather — He passed Us —
The Dews drew quivering and Chill —
For only Gossamer, my Gown —
My Tippet — only Tulle —

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground —
The Roof was scarcely visible —
The Cornice — in the Ground —

Since then — 'tis Centuries — and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity —

fpbp

fobt/pol/