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"There is a certain Slant of light," by Emily Dickinson. This poem is written in four stanzas with the
rhyming scheme of ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GHGH. Clearly, the poet intends to highlight the light in
the afternoon with its heaviness, and religious metaphor of "Cathedral tune", performing day after
day. The light has a slant on it because the time of day is twilight. The time of season is "Winter,"
when there is less light, and often considered a metaphor for death. This sonnet is metered. The
first stanza, lines one and three are written in trochaic tetrameter; tetrameter means there are four
feet, and trochaic means there is a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable in each foot;
except for the last foot which is simply a single spondee. Lines two and four are written in duo
meter, which means there are two feet, and the meter varies. The meter in line two is trochaic, and
anapest, while the meter in line four is anapest, and an iamb.
The second stanza, "Heavenly Hurt," expresses a melancholy mood that is caused by this twilight
hour. Who does the twilight hurt? Twilight hurts us, but leaves no scar because it is internal.
However, the difference between the light of the day and that of twilight is where the meaning lies.
Lines one and three are written again in trochaic tetrameter; there are four feet, and each foot has
a stressed followed by an unstressed syllable, except the last foot is once again a single spondee.
The poet builds to this sonnet by adding in lines two and four three feet rather than two; the feet
are trochaic, except for the last foot which is a single spondee.
The third stanza, no person can teach us about the feeling of twilight and death, and that is why it
is the Seal of Despair. Death is an important problem common to everyone, who breaths the air.
Line one is written in a true trochaic tetrameter; there are four feet, and each foot has a stressed
followed by an unstressed syllable. Line two has three feet, and is metered with a trochee, trochee,
and single spondee. Line three has four feet; it commences with an anapest, iamb, iamb, and ends
on an unstressed syllable. Line four has a duo meter, two feet, with an iamb, and anapest.
The fourth stanza, when death comes all that abounds listens, many unknown to us are quite and
hold their breath; when it leaves so to does the melancholy leave, and as the distance increases
between darkness of Winter and twilight, "On the look of Death," so the melancholic mood
dissipates. Lines one and three are written in true trochaic tetrameter, while lines three and four
are written both in three meters, with a trochee, trochee, and single spondee.