The Extensive Use of Symbolism in Emily Dickinsons Poem #315 :: Emily Dickinson Poem 315 Essays

The Extensive Use of Symbolism in Emily Dickinson's Poem #315 As I had no prior experience with Emily Dickinson's work, I was unsure of what to expect from this assignment. I read the poem about fifteen or twenty times before I was even able to ask myself legitimate questions about Dickinson's thoughts as she composed this work over two hundred years ago. I couldn't even look to the title for guidance..."ugh, this is going to be tough" ran through my head over and over. I began by researching #315 on the Internet and in our library. I found more opinions than I could possibly wade through in one summer semester and resigned myself to limiting my research to the basics and forming my own opinions. I have learned in literature classes since past-many, many years ago I might add-that understanding symbolisms that exist in poetry is the key to understanding the poem itself. Emily Dickinson's #315 is absolutely FULL of symbolism, so much so that I had to break it down--almost word-by-word-- to begin to understand what Dickinson is trying to tell her readers. The first question that I had-and probably the one of most significance-- was "who is "HE"???" Dickinson begins with "He fumbles at your soul..."-- I couldn't even understand who "HE" was. After researching this, I realized that I was not alone and that various readers of #315 have debated my question over decades. Robert Weisbuch in Emily Dickinson's Poetry (1972) explained that he felt that the primary figure (He) is intentionally ambiguous because "his" identity doesn't really matter. Weisbuch further postulated that Dickinson wants the reader "not to understand the cause, but to focus on experiencing the terrible moment" (pp. 98). Mr. Weisbuch seems to feel that "He" is many things (e.g. pianist, smithy, Thor and wind) and yet "his" definition is of little importance. I was somewhat relieved when I read Weisbuch's theory on "He" because each time I read "He fumbles..." I come to believe that "He" is a different entity. I first felt that Dickinson was referring to a prominent male figure in her life-maybe her father or her lover-but during subsequent readings my thoughts turned to less obvious possibilities such as God or non-human objects such as a storm. Even after a week's worth of research, I still am not certain that I fully understand which direction she is hoping to lead her reader.