The Deeper Truth: Literature
The Poets light but lamps Themselves - go out The Wicks they stimulate
If vital Light
Inhere as do the Suns Each Age a Lens
Disseminating their
Circumference Emily Dickinson, poem 930
Literature. It’s purpose can be questionable. Yes, it is a creative art. Yes, it is
entertaining and educational. But why? How can literature actually be useful? What
does literature do? Does Emily Dickinson’s poem 930 actually benefit society? I’m
going to argue yes. Literature is intangible. It has the power to reach beyond realms we
can experience in our daily lives. Gikandi struggled to explain the same concept, “I
could not tell my grandmother that literature transported me to other worlds, other
experiences; I could not say that it enabled me to imagine things that I have never
encountered.” But all of these things are true. Literature allows us to dig deeper inside,
to our subconscious even, to figure out what we actually think and what we actually
believe. It tests our brain and our soul. It creates possibility, and in this possibility is
tension, tension that tears our thoughts and beliefs in multiple directions. Under all of
this possibility and tension, lies the truth. Literature enables us to search for the truth on
an entirely new surface. Through a close reading of the poem 930, we can discover that
the work of literature surpasses creative writing and entertainment; it provides one of the
greatest outlets for self-discovery.
One of the strange things that Emily Dickinson did with her poetry was to leave
them unnamed. She didn’t provide the answers to her works. She left possibility. In
930, she did not designate a certain line with priority, nor did she give a background for
what she was expressing. It is all up to the reader.
A writer will have a purpose for writing, however. According to George Orwell,
there are four possible purposes for writing: “sheer egoism,” “aesthetic enthusiasm,”
“historical impulse,” and “political purpose” (Orwell). Throughout 930 all of these
possibilities seem to be plausible. In lines 3-4 we can see how the sheer egoism is
viable. She suggests that poets create work that is necessary. Before she states that
even after death, a poet’s work will be remembered permanently. She describes poetry
as a light, reflecting her aesthetic enthusiasm. The lamp that they light is beautiful and
essential for life. In the last two lines, it can be interpreted that the light-the work of
literature-will be spread throughout the world. “Each Age a Lens,” allows the historical
aspect to enter (line 6). The poem will be pondered throughout the ages. Dickinson
may have written this in a sense for political power as well. The light that poets create
can be a certain belief that triggers change or other radical opinions. Clearly Dickinson’s
real reason for writing is indeterminant. This does not create a road block, however,
instead it opens up many other avenues. The possibility of the unknown allows the
readers to see what they want to see.
Dickinson has also mastered the technique of dwelling. Dwelling in literature is
an incomparable experience. Dickinson utilizes dashes in this unique fashion. Our
thoughts are suspended allowing us to see farther into a thought. It is a matrix of
ideas. Dwelling in a certain moment of literature allows us to question the possibilities
and search for answers. Dickinson’s “circumference” is a perfect example. The center
of the candle, the flame, the wick, Dickinson dwells in the whole area instead of focusing
on one point. “Themselves - go out - “ (Line 2). What does she mean by go out? Does
the poet die? It is very easy to dwell in literature. In line 4 she says “if.” What happens
if? How does this happen? What would prevent this from occurring? There are so
many possibilities of which could be supported by various details and imagination.
If there are so many possibilities that can be supported, tension seems to be
drawn in. Which possibility is right? This is almost impossible to answer. By reading
into literature so closely, we are able to witness what is happening. Truth is difficult to
pinpoint. How can we actually know that something is down to the roots true. The
closest we can get is through personal experience. Witnessing what happens is the only
way we can be certain something happened. Together, what we have experienced and
what we are experiencing, creates the closest thing to truth we could ever come to
know. The experience we gain from dwelling in literature and witnessing literature gives
up the ability and support to find more of the truth. Dickinson provides many
opportunities for witnessing literature. “Each Age a Lens,” is a prime example. The age
she writes about could be a time period or a time in an individual’s life. It could be
expressing the different views an era has towards certain subjects or the difference in
the way a teenager and elder person view life. Thinking about these options, we witness
the opportunity to analyze the possibilities. We can seek out the truth.
In just one poem, Dickinson created an avenue to seek out our personal
truth. By dwelling in possibility and fully witnessing these options, literature strengthens
our ability to develop ourselves. Our ideas are stretched and the truth unfolds upon this
subconscious analyzation. Literature creates tension in our brain and soul that allows us
to fight through it and find the truth. We are able to find the truth and prove it right
through our own experiences. Literature allows us to dig deep inside of ourselves and
figure out our beliefs. There may have been a single purpose behind literary works, but
the truth is vast and depends on the audience. Literature allows us to witness the real
truth, our personal truth.
Works Cited
Dickinson, Emily. The Poems of Emily Dickinson. Reading Edition. Massachusetts:
Harvard UP, 2005.