Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Emily Dickinson" by Melville Cane is a short yet evocative poem that endeavors to encapsulate the essence of one of America's most enigmatic poets, Emily Dickinson. In just four lines, Cane constructs a vivid image that mirrors the reclusive and mysterious life led by Dickinson, while also subtly critiquing societal perceptions of her.

Melville Cane was an American lawyer, businessman, and poet whose poetic output saw a surge in the early 20th century. Cane, who had a long-standing interest in literature and arts, became an important figure in the intellectual scene of his time, though he is less remembered today than many of his contemporaries

The rhyme scheme is ABCB. This choice of rhyme scheme, subtly subverting expectation, works in concert with the subject matter, since Dickinson herself was known for her unconventional rhyme and meter.The choice of "privet," a type of hedge, signifies both Dickinson's domestic life and her impenetrable emotional and psychological boundaries. By stating that she's "enclosed within a hedge," Cane suggests that Dickinson was confined not just physically but also emotionally. Yet the hedge could also be interpreted as self-imposed, a protective measure to preserve her interior life.

The poem employs the terms "Donuts and nays," which can be read in various ways. While "nays" explicitly conveys Dickinson's reclusive tendencies and reluctance to engage with the external world, "Donuts" seems to be an ironic play on the homonym 'do-nots,' highlighting the things Dickinson wouldn't do-like publishing her work widely or mixing socially. These choices, seemingly trivial or domestic, are raised to a level of philosophical or existential importance, casting Dickinson as a "burning spinster," a phrase fraught with complexity.

The word "burning" could imply multiple things: passion, intelligence, or even a sort of destructive quality. Perhaps, Cane is suggesting that her reclusivity was not a sign of lack but a symptom of excess-too much emotion, too much intellect to comfortably fit within the confines of 19th-century New England society.

"Her clipped New England days" implies a life restricted by both geography and time. The term "clipped" evokes the image of something carefully trimmed like the "privet" hedges, a life lived with precision but also with limitations. It is almost as if Cane is saying that her life, confined as it was, was lived in a way that was meticulously chosen and ardently felt, making her both a product and a critic of her environment.

From a historical and cultural context, Emily Dickinson's life and work were largely misunderstood during her time. This poem, written in the 20th century, can be seen as an attempt to redefine and reinterpret Dickinson against the backdrop of more modern sensibilities. In today's terms, she might be understood as an empowered woman who made conscious choices about her life and art, rather than a "spinster" doomed to loneliness.

In summary, Melville Cane's "Emily Dickinson" serves as both an homage and a reassessment. It urges us to look past the stereotypes and simplistic narratives to understand the complex woman that was Emily Dickinson. And it does so in a manner as concise and enigmatic as Dickinson's own poetic style.

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