Poem #5: Joy in Death

THE POEM: Joy in Death

If tolling bell I ask the cause.
'A soul has gone to God,'
I'm answered in a lonesome tone;
Is heaven then so sad?

That bells should joyful ring to tell
A soul had gone to heaven,
Would seem to me the proper way
A good news should be given.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Dickinson is one of the most famous poet in this whole entire world. She wrote so many beautiful poems that I love. Her beautiful poems usually consists of very good moral lessons that can be applied in our real lives. Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, and she died on May 15, 1886. The cause of her death was typhoid fever. Amazing fact is that even near her death, she wrote a beautiful poem that is counted as one of the best poems in the world.

PERSONAL RESPONSE

     I especially love this piece of poem among all the other poems that she wrote because this one makes me feel warm. When I was young, I was always scared if I might die. However, after I started going to the church, that fear was gradually fading away. This poem reminded me of how returning back to God’s arms is nothing to be scared of.

     My text to text connection would be the fact that she wrote many other poems about death, and also the fact that there are numbers of books and poems about death that are not written by Emily Dickinson. My text to world connection would be the fact that everybody dies in this world. We are born in this world as a human, but at some point in our lives, we die and return to where we belong. My text to self connection would be the fact that I had to be taught to know that I was not supposed to be scared of death. Just like how the person that said “Another soul had gone to God”, I always thought that dying was a sad, tragic thing. It is tragic that they do not get to spend more time with their loved ones. However, it is not tragic that we are returning to where we belong. I had to be told that, just like the person in the poem had to be told.

     I love most of Emily Dickinson’s poems, such as the poem, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers”. I wish Emily Dickinson had not died and continued her currier as a poet in writing so many beautiful poems. I will continue to search and enjoy Emily Dickinson’s poetry.

TPCASTT

TITLE

When I read the title without reading the poem, it makes me wonder what is so joyous in dying. If you die,, it means that you are leaving all of your family and friends. Also, if you did not have a religion, dying would be something very scary for most people. The title made me think that the speaker was supposed to be a christian. The title explains a lot about the poem.

PARAPHRASE

When the bells are ringing

And someone says that a soul went to God,

I ask in a sad tone,

Is heaven that sad?

The bells should be ringing joyously,

Saying that a soul went to heaven,

It should ring in a proper way,

That says that it is a good news

CONNOTATION

1.Speaker: The person who thinks that death is joyous.

2. Imagery: Sight(none), Touch(none), Hear(the bells ringing), Smell(none), Taste(none)

3.Repetition: none

4. Rhyme Scheme:  ABCD ABCB

5. Figurative language: none

ATTITUDE

The speaker seems to be disappointed in those that are saying that death is not a joyous occasion. Also, the speaker seems to become more cheerful when the he or she is explaining how death is supposed to be a happy event since they are going to God.

SHIFT

First quatrain (lines 1-4) : it talks about how death is a sad thing.

Second quatrain (lines 5-8) : it talks about how death needs to be something joyous.

TITLE

Now that I read it again, I think the poet was trying to let people know that death is nothing to be scared of, just by reading the title. The title gives off enough mystery for people to become intrigued. When others actually read the poem, they receive the message that the poet was continually trying to give.

THEME

*It is better to have a religion than none.

*Death should not be something that is scary.

*Always think positively.

*Try to do your best before death comes.

*Life is not that long.

APA-6 REFERENCE

Dickinson, E. (1886). Joy in Death. Website. Retrieved from 
     http://www.eulogyspeech.net/funeral-poems/Joy-in-Death.shtml#.UT7zrhycuU4