The poem “Before I Got My Eye Put Out” by Emily Dickinson is a poem about loss and grief. The speaker in the poem is talking about how she used to be able to see the world clearly, but now her vision is clouded by her tears. She talks about how she can no longer see the beauty in the world, and how all she can see is darkness. Even though she can’t see the beauty anymore, she still remembers it. And she knows that someday she will be able to see it again.
Dickinson’s perspective on the importance of sight is particularly effective because she underwent eye treatment in Boston for seven months in 1864. It seems that she is reflecting on this experience in Poem 327 and exploring further possibilities, which explains the use of the conditional tense.
This poem clearly celebrates vision, but it does so in a way that emphasizes the solitary nature of sight, which creates a sense of pathos. Although women’s poetry has traditionally been seen as more polite, this poem demonstrates that this is not always the case. It uses graphic and visceral imagery to emphasize the importance and power of sight.
This poem is ultimately about the transformative power of vision, and how it can change the way we see both the world and ourselves. It is a poem that celebrates the ability to see, whilst also acknowledging the darkness that can be found within us all. It is this balance that makes the poem so effective, and which has ensured its place as one of Dickinson’s most famous works.
The narrator’s initial reaction to the idea of regaining her sight is one of elation, as seen in the line “my Heart/ Would split, for size of me “. The use of a cesura creates tension and anticipation in the reader, while the exclamatory syntax reflects the ‘split’ and ensuing free flow of energy and emotion.
The poem is replete with images of light and dark, day and night, blindness and vision. The poem’s first two stanzas establish dichotomies between the physical world of the narrator’s experience and the spiritual world of her imagination.
The poem’s title, “Before I got my eye put out,” refers to a moment in the speaker’s life when she was still able to see. The poem reflects on that time, and on what she has learned since then. In the first stanza, the speaker recalls how she used to see things “in a different way” than she does now. She remembers being able to see colors and shapes, but not understanding what they meant. Now, she says, she can see things “in the dark.”
The poem’s second stanza introduces the idea of light and dark as metaphors for knowledge and ignorance. The speaker says that she used to think that light was “something to be afraid of,” because it made things visible. Now, she understands that light is “the best thing there is,” because it allows her to see clearly.
The poem’s third stanza compares the experience of seeing with the experience of hearing. The speaker says that when she was able to see, she would hear things “in a different way” than she does now. She remembers being able to hear sounds, but not understanding what they meant. Now, she says, she can hear things “in the dark.”
The repetition of “mine” implies the narrator’s desire for control over the visuals. She would be able to satisfy her appetite by viewing them whenever she pleased if she owned them. Dickinson employs dashes in the penultimate stanza to isolate ‘to look at when I like ‘, signifying the poem’s climax and emphasizing sight’s magnificent wonder.
The poem is about a person who has gone blind, and is now looking back on all the things she used to be able to see. She talks about how much she misses being able to see, and how she would give anything to be able to see again.
The poem is sad, but also contains a bit of hope. The speaker talks about how she still has her memories of all the things she used to be able to see. Even though she can’t see them anymore, she can still hold on to those memories and they will never disappear.
In 1862, Dickinson wrote a poem called “Before I Got My Eye Put Out” in which she reflects on losing sight (327). Dickinson makes the significance and strength of vision clear with her gritty, physical imagery in the poem. The poem may be divided into three parts: before “my eye was put out,” when there was a chance to regain my sight, and in the end, accepting my fate.
The poem starts with the narrator describing what she could see before she lost her sight. Dickinson begins with natural light, “I could see the Sun” (2). This suggests that the narrator had not just physical sight, but also mental and emotional clarity. The sun is a symbol of hope, happiness, and positivity.
The fact that the narrator could see the sun before she lost her sight tells us that she was once optimistic and hopeful. However, the poem takes a turn when the sun sets and “the Darkness came” (4). The darkness can be interpreted as blindness, sadness, or death. The fact that the darkness came after she could see the sun suggests that she went through a period of hardship after she lost her sight.
The poem then talks about the possibility of regaining her sight. The narrator says that she “had another Eye” (6) which could see things that her other eye couldn’t. This suggests that she was able to see things differently after she lost her sight. The fact that she had another eye also suggests that she was not completely blind, but just had reduced vision.
In the end, the poem concludes with the acceptance of her fate. The narrator says that even though she can’t see the sun, she is content because she can still see “the Darkness” (10). This suggests that she has accepted her blindness and is now at peace with it.