as imperceptibly as grief

Question 1

overview

Answer 1

In As Imperceptibly as Grief, Dickenson describes how summer prepares to come to an end which the speaker feels sad about but she’s accepting too. The poem is an expression of her feelings. At the end of the poem, summer is gone which suggests how change is bound to happen. Living in the mid 1800’s, Dickenson was fascinated by death as she had to nurse her mother through an illness. Dickenson was a recluse and suffered from severe depression so perhaps she did not like change. In this poem, Summer could be a metaphor for happiness or life which suggests how it doesn’t last and you have to accept this change.

Question 2

beginning

Answer 2

• At the start of the poem, Dickenson describes how ‘As imperceptibly as Grief the summer lapsed away.’ This suggests how summer fades away as slowly as grief or loss does. The word ‘imperceptibly’ suggests how the change is too small or gradual to be noticed. Grief is compared to summer which suggests how it lasts for a long time and won’t come to an end which is similar to how summer feels.
• Dickenson describes the season beginning to change and how ‘the dusk drew earlier in.’ this suggests how it is getting darker earlier in the day because summer is coming to an end. However, Dickenson might not want that to happen.

Question 3

middle

Answer 3

• Next, she describes a ‘courteous, yet harrowing Grace’ and this could be in correlation to summer. The oxymoron suggests how you might expect summer to be good but towards the end it is actually painful because it is ‘harrowing.’ The word ‘harrowing’ means upsetting or disturbing. This could link to grief once more because you can love someone and then be pained when they leave you.

Question 4

end

Answer 4

• She describes how summer is without the ‘service of a Keel.’ This suggests how Dickenson may feel unstable and may seek freedom but feel trapped because the Keel is the part of a boat that keeps it balanced and provides stability and support.
• Finally, she describes how ‘Summer made her light escape into the beautiful.’ This suggests how summer is finally dead. However, Summer could also be Dickenson’s own mother who had been suffering from an illness and passed away. the fact that the escape is ‘light’ suggests that it was painless and contrasts the usually dark descriptions of death. This suggests how the process of dying is natural and should not be feared.

Question 5

form & structure

Answer 5

• For the first few lines of the poem there is a perfect rhythm but then it changes. This could reflect changing emotions and life changing.
• Throughout the poem she uses lots of pauses in her lines which could suggest pausing to take in the moment. This could suggest how she’s making the most of summer or the time that she has left with her mother.
• She uses half rhymes which are almost imperceptible which reflects the mood of the poem.