As Imperceptibly as Grief Flashcards
(9 cards)
About
explores the almost unnoticeable passing of time through the metaphor of the changing of the seasons. The disappearance of summer is gradual without a specific moment of transition, fading just as feelings of loss and grief diminish over time.
Language
Delicate, subtle diction: words like “imperceptibly” and “lapsed” create a soft, gentle tone. Personification of summer: Summer acts almost like a polite guest, departing quietly.
Natural imagery: seasons, light, and mornings represent emotional states.
Oxymoronic language: Dickinson blurs beginnings and endings, showing how grief fades not with a sharp break but with quiet continuity
Imagery
Seasonal imagery: summer fading symbolises the fading of grief and the inevitable passage of time.
Light and twilight imagery: represent transition, uncertainty, and the in-between moments of change.
Nature as a mirror for emotions: the changes in the environment parallel changes in the speaker’s emotional state.
Decay imagery: “Sequestered Afternoon” suggests isolation and the slow decline into the darker seasons.
Structure
Single, compact stanza: reflects the seamless, imperceptible flow of time and emotions.
Dashes (—): create pauses and hesitations, mimicking natural thought patterns and the gradual nature of emotional shifts.
Irregular rhythm: typical of Dickinson’s style, reflecting the unpredictable and personal nature of grief.
No formal rhyme scheme (or very loose): emphasises naturalness and fluidity rather than a controlled, ordered pattern.
‘As imperceptibly as Grief’
Simile: comparing the slow fading of summer to grief that passes so gradually it is barely noticed.
Dickinson captures the quiet, elusive nature of emotional change, suggesting grief doesn’t vanish dramatically but slips away softly.
‘Th summer lapsed away’
Personification: “lapsed” suggests slipping or fading without deliberate action, giving summer human-like vulnerability.
Just as time inevitably passes, so too does emotion; Dickinson presents change as both natural and unstoppable.
‘Th dusk drew earlier in’
Dusk symbolises encroaching darkness, the end of something bright and lively.
Personification (“drew in”) makes dusk active, as if it is closing down life.
The gradual onset of darkness mirrors the creeping sense of loss and emotional fading.
‘A courteous, yet harrowing Grace’
Oxymoron: “courteous” suggests politeness and gentleness; “harrowing” suggests deep pain.
Dickinson highlights the paradox of grief: it can feel both beautiful and painful, and the ending of intense feeling is both a relief and a loss.
‘Our summer made her light escape / Into the Beautiful’
Personification and metaphor: summer “escapes” — not dies or ends violently but slips away into something undefined yet “Beautiful”.
Dickinson suggests that loss isn’t purely tragic; it leads into a transcendent, perhaps spiritual, beauty — grief transforms rather than simply disappears.
