Abstract:Emily Dickinson, one of the greatest poets in the history of 19th-century America, is well known for her extraordinary originality in poetic composition. She has more of a focus on the themes of love, nature, mental pain, solitude and religion – especially the theme of death. Many of her famous poems, such as “I heard a fly buzz – when I died” (P 223-4, no. 465), “Country Burial” (P402, no. 829), deal with death. Having experienced many torments she began to explore the answer to the riddle even though she has not yet experienced the real death herself. Thus, through an investigation of the intriguing death in Dickinson’s poems, this research paper aims at exploring the theme of death in her poetry from the perspectives of isolation, tranquility and painfulness.

Key Words: death；isolation；tranquility；painfulness

Contents

摘要

Abstract

Introduction .1

1. Reasons for Exploring Death2

1.1 Dickinson’s Enchanting Seclusion2

1.2 Dickinson’s Interpretations of Death 3

2. Intriguing Death in Dickinson’s Poetry..3

2.1 Death as Isolation .4

2.2 Death in Tranquility6

2.3 Death of Painfulness.7

Conclusion9

Works Cited.11

Bibliography12

Acknowledgements.13