What do a Victorian poet laureate and an American poetess from the heart of conservative Massachusetts have in common? They both have written poems that obsess about death. In the case of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, it was the death of his best friend, Arthur Henry Hallam that triggered a giant poetic eulogy that took nearly two decades to write. In the case of Emily Dickinson's, on the other hand, it was one of her many poetic works that brings out her rather morbid attraction towards death. Though the works of these two writers may seem different at first sight, they are connected by a common theme; the theme of death. However, the way in which each of these writers conceptualizes about death is very different. This makes it interesting to compare and contrast the two master pieces from these two authors. This paper seeks to identify and discuss the similarities and distinctions that exist between the works of these two writers.
First of all, both authors use the titles of their pieces as guiding blocs to explain to their readers what they are likely to expect. Each of the two titles reflects what each of the poets is trying to put forward. Looking at Tennyson's somber title 'In Memoriam', it covers all the dimensions of his work. This title reveals the carefully structured thoughts and organized craftsmanship that has been put into place in order to come up with this masterpiece. Lord Tennyson's 'In Memoriam' is a voluminous tribute, executed on a massive scale. The expertise and skill with which Tennyson manipulates such a volume of material, without compromising its effectiveness makes this a most remarkable work. Emily Dickinson's poem, not even properly titled, is an example of raw, forceful poetry, unalloyed by tradition and untamed by a sense of what anyone might think of the person who wrote it. ‘Because I could not stop for Death', is a small leaf out of Emily Dickinson's copious collection of poems. Her conception of death is an idea that comes full circle in the very brief space of the poem. The first thing that stands out within the comparison is the size of the poetry and kind of work needed to be done. Tennyson uses a volume of material, while Dickinson writes briefly and from her own senses. This is a clear indication of the expertise that these two writers possess.
Secondly, both Tennyson and Dickson differ in terms of their thought pattern and style. Tennyson is a more traditional poet. He is a classic writer in the best tradition of English literature. His poetry is rich, full and mellow like well-matured wine. His pace is slow and leisurely, meant to be savored and enjoyed by those with plenty of time on their hands. On the other hand, Dickinson is more appreciative of modern styles and shifts in social paradigms. This makes her work more contemporary compared to that of Tennyson. For example, Dickinson’s poem, 'Because I could not stop for Death' gallops along at such a speed that even a modern reader isn't bored. The style of the poem is experimental. The author dives in her emotions and writes what comes to mind. She does not need a lot of words to show what she wanted to her reader. The difference in style and thought pattern between Tennyson and Dickinson can be based on the fact that these two writers have had different experiences and backgrounds in life.
For example, Tennyson seems to be deeply buried in Victorian sentimentality, idealism and chivalry. The poet seems to encounter sudden death first with a certain bewildered innocence and indignation that ripens through melancholy into acceptance. This is because of his background. Tennyson was a powerful and well-respected man in England, recognized and celebrated for his talent. In fact, Queen Victoria, who was the reigning monarch at the time, is said to have stated that next to the Bible, ‘In Memoriam’ was the book that gave her the most comfort and solace (Wollner, 2009). Certain self-assurance gives the works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, gives him a steady hand. On the other hand, Emily Dickinson had a very different background. Unlike Tennyson, she was unacknowledged in life. She was an American woman straining against a hidebound traditional setup where the feminine voice was largely repressed. Nevertheless, she chose to express all of her personality in her poems, revealing in her writing the corners of her soul which would have horrified the world. Allen Tate has even gone so far as to say that ‘Because I Could Not Stop for Death,’ is “one of the greatest in the English language” (Flanagan, 1961, p. 436). The difference in background of these two writers is a clear indication that these two poets are completely different people in terms of their philosophies and school of thoughts. One, Tennyson, is a public figure while the other, Emily Dickinson, spent her life locked up in her room, not even wanting to publish her works.
Third, the work of these two writers Dickinson and Tennyson are the same in terms of the themes that they seek to address. The theme of death and impermanence runs through both poems, but the treatment of the subject could not be more different. Tennyson deals with death on a material plane, lamenting the fleeting nature of life, the loss of friendship, and how alone he feels because he's been left behind in the world without the company of his dear friend. The Victorian poet laureate's epic work is as rich as a tapestry, with elegant metaphors, beautiful imagery and written in iambic tetrameter with a nice sense of rhythm. In Tennyson's world, Nature, in the stillness of acceptance that follows bereavement, still shines with beauty. Wishing peace on the world, the recovering Tennyson bestows a blessing as picturesque as it is significant in the process of accepting loss:
“Calm and deep peace on this high world,
And on these dews that drench the furze,
And all the silvery gossamers
That twinkle into green and gold:”
(Tennyson, 1884, Canto IX)
Tennyson embroiders his work with loving care (beautiful passages that describe nature abound), so that even grief takes on the delicate opulence of a gold-rimmed, painted china tea-set such as Queen Victoria herself might have used. In sharp contrast is the staccato, almost nibbled-off, un-rhyming verse of Emily Dickinson, whose poem is lent raw force and a certain shock value by her plain, almost bald language. The poem reads almost like Emily Dickinson speaking. One of the things that make the poem so effective is the fact that Dickinson couches the poem in the language of polite everyday conversation, puncturing the effect by saying startlingly unconventional things in the ladylike, demure language that convention demanded of women in her time.
On the other hand, Emily Dickinson's clever, forceful metaphors deliver an unexpected punch, surfacing suddenly among a poem that has a genteel, ladylike tone. When she speaks of “a house that seemed/ A swelling of the ground”, its “cornice but a mound” (Dickinson, 1888), the realization that Dickinson has coolly equated a grave with a home pulls the rug out from under the reader's feet! In Dickinson's work, nothing is as it seems. The stark-seeming verse hides the fact that she has achieved, with a great economy of words, one of the most startlingly successful personifications in English literature. Death, usually the Grim Reaper, turns into a respectable gentleman offering a lady a ride in his carriage in Emily Dickinson's famed work 'Because I could not stop for Death'. Emily Dickinson's work is full of surprises – the ones in the language are the tip of the iceberg.
Fourth, both the Dickinson and Tennyson works exhibit a common characteristic such that the form mirrors the content in both poems. In the case of Tennyson, he indulges in an epic of vast proportions, balancing the sheer size of the poem with the unerring delicacy of a master (Eliot, 1936) while Dickinson, with no less skill, produces a poetic masterpiece that alternates between the pretty surface of a lady's life in the late l9th century and the streak of darkness that colors her genius. In addition, Tennyson is more concerned with the structure of his poem compared to Emily Dickinson. One of the proves that Tennyson is more concerned with structure compared to Dickinson is fact that Tennyson tries to make a rhyme scheme for his poem. Though he does not succeed in coming up with a regular rhyme scheme he at least creates a rhythmic tone for his work. Creating a rhyme scheme while at the same time preserving the sentence structure and meaning is a difficult endeavor but Tennyson is able to incorporate the two together. This is a clear indication that Tennyson is at a comfort zone with poetry in that he can craft a poem so that it conforms to his own style and still retain the initial message the he intended to preserve.
Emily Dickinson’s work seems to come from her mind. She does not draw any information from external sources. This accounts for the reason why her poem is characterized by short sentences. On other hand, Tennyson seems to draw his work from other sources. He is not original. For example he seems to use biblical language that is evident in the Old Testament. For example, in his last paragraph of his poem ‘In Memoriam’ he says “Thou shalt not… “This style of writing is evident in the Bible meaning that he drew some of his ideas from external sources. Though there is a difference in terms of the forms employed by the two writers some structural styles within their forms are the same. For example both poems have four lines in every stanza which means that both poets were concerned with structure to a certain degree.
Fifth, it is evident from both poets that they use their work to express their feeling and emotions to their readers. In fact, both poets are so passionate in the wording of their poems that they actually pass their emotions to their readers. For example, Emily Dickinson's narrator, speaking in the first person just like Tennyson does in 'In Memoriam', is quite unafraid of death. She welcomes death, seeming to embrace it with a tranquil contentment which gives the poem a macabre flavor, personifying it as a kind, chivalrous gentleman who treats a young lady with old-world courtesy. Tennyson is less pleased with Death. ‘In Memoriam’ deals with sorrowing, going through the stages of disbelief, violent grief, melancholy, depression, acceptance, and finally, hope. The poet speaks in his own voice of the rude shock he had when the news of his young friend's death reached him, and how it turned his world upside down. To him, death is a foul force that has unfairly snatched away one who was dear to him. He rails against death for snatching away his friend and derailing the pleasant, even course of his life. It takes him 133 cantos to get life back into perspective.
For Tennyson, it is a huge effort to learn to accept the fact of death in life and to feel again a sense of hope in a world. In this sense, the poet strikes a chord with most readers, who hold life as dear as he does. That otherworldly, mystic young woman, Emily Dickinson, however, doesn't seem to have any hard feelings towards Death. Not only does she accept the fact that life ends in death, she seems to welcome death! The impermanence of life doesn't bother her in the least – she's quite ready to drop everything she's doing to take a ride in death's carriage.
While Tennyson bemoans the circumstance of young, promising life cut short as a tragedy, Dickinson gently mocks those who would be so busy with life that they don't want to 'stop for Death'. As a literary work, it reflects a new and interesting point of view. It's also a most uncomfortable read for anyone with a natural fear of death. To the average reader, Dickinson’s celebrated work would seem creepy. And whether choosing a novel at the airport or a great classic, most people do pick out works that echo their own sentiments and ideas (Clugston, 2010).
Sixth, both poems bring out a sense of time. This is evident due to the time language that each of the poets chooses. Tennyson for example writes his poem’ In Memoriam’ in present tense. This brings a feeling of involvement of the audience. The present tense employed by Tennyson makes his poem feel current and up to date since his actions feel as if they are happening at the time that the reader is reading his poem. On the other hand, Emily Dickinson uses past tense. This makes her poem to feel more like a narrative. This strategy, time-wise, makes her poem to feel as not being a contemporary literature. It feels more like a story of the past.
In conclusion, it is clear from both’ In Memoriam’ by Tennyson and ‘Because I could not wait for death’ by Emily Dickinson that though the two authors are two independent thinkers, they bear similarities. Some of the similarities that are evident in these two poems are that the titles of both poem act as guiding blocs that explain to the reader what to expect in the content of the poems. The titles explain the key issues that each of the poets is trying to convey within his or her poem. The second similarity is that both poets convey the poets’ emotions to the reader. The tone of each poem plays a key role in explaining the mood of each poet. The third important similarity that is evident in these two poems is that both poems have value for structure to a large extent. For example, both poems have four lines in each stanza. Despite the commonality between the two masterpieces, they are distinctions that exist between the two poems. The first distinction that is evident in both poems is that both poets have different extents of originality. Tennyson relies heavily on external resources to be able to create his poem. This accounts for the reason as to why he alludes to other pieces of works like the Bible. On the other hand, Emily Dickinson is an original thinker who relies on her own mind and emotions to come up with her poem. The two poems also exhibit some differences in terms of structure. Tennyson is more concerned with creating thinks like rhyme schemes while Emily Dickinson does not concentrate on employing such a stylistic devise. The other important distinction between the two poems is that they have a different sense of time, Tennyson’s poem’ In Memoriam’ is in present tense which makes it feel more current. On the other hand, Emily Dickinson’s poem is in past tense which make it feel as being less contemporary and more like a narrative. It is therefore worthwhile to conclude that the purpose of great literature, as of great art is to instruct, amuse and elevate. Both ‘In Memoriam’ and ‘Because I could not wait for death’ achieve this purpose. The shifting sands of life might throw things off balance, but there are things to be learned from every experience. For Tennyson, death brings sorrow and a bittersweet appreciation of past joys. For Dickinson, death means release and a new start in a new, other world. But the lesson at the back of both poems is the same: death is a fact of life, and must be accepted with good grace.
References
Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into Literature. San Diego, California:
Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Dickinson, E. (1890). Poems: Series 1.
Eliot, T.S. (1936). Selected Essays: New Edition. Rahway, New Jersey: Quinn & Boden Company, Inc
Flanagan, J. T. (1961). American literature: a college survey. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Lord Tennyson, A. (1884). In Memoriam.
Wollner, A. (2009). The Power of Language. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://www.victorianweb.org
