1. Emily Dickinson
In the poem, "After great pain, a formal feeling comes-- (1053), we hear the author questioning the whole purpose of human existence. ... To me, this describes the author's fear of existence without the hope of an escape- even though there is fear in the finality of that escape. Again, clearly the torment of living and dying is defined in this writing. ... To this author, such a quest seems impossible and yet the effort to keep striving for truth and beauty in the world is worth dying for. ... Perhaps for her, the only escape of our mechanical, useless search for purpose is found in dyi...
- Word Count: 587
- Approx Pages: 2
- Grade Level: High School