THIS WORLD IS NOT CONCLUSION
THEMES: HOPE, TIME, ANGER AT WORLD, HAPPINESS, AFTERLIFE
SYMBOL
SYMBOL
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“Tooth”
o
The metaphor is concise: the soul is as a
person with a toothache being treated by a dentist. Despite the painkillers and
anesthetics the dentist may provide, the toothache endures. The metaphor is
expanded however, as it is not the nerves inside the tooth that ache, but the
tooth itself that “nibbles.” What gnaws at us spiritually is alive.
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“this world is not conclusion”
o
expression of confidence in there being more to
life than this ®
“species stand beyond”
o
There is more to reality than this everyday
world we live in, but we can only form conjectures about it. Christianity has
inspired martyrs but “Faith” still “slips.” There really is no conclusion—all
our searchings lead to questions rather than answers. Existence doesn't
"conclude" at death. Dickinson is using both meanings of
"conclusion": the answer to a question and the end of an affair.
o
The apparent omission of the
determiner ‘a’ draws us to seeing the capitalised ‘Conclusion’ even more as a
proper noun and thereby further develops the irony that this world is not
all there is. The full stop becomes ironic in its finality.
-
“narcotics cannot still the tooth
that nibbles at the soul”
o
the last two lines put all into
perspective. The Marquis de Sade and Marx had both previously likened
religion to opium. In this extended, corporeal metaphor, Dickinson takes
this idea further by referring to various human activities as being opiates
that fail to numb aching personal experience: the various opiates are
enumerated in the poem as being contempt, crucifixion, organised religion,
philosophy, academia and faltering faith; the suffering of personal experience
gradually wears away the spiritual integrity of the soul.
STRUCTURE
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no paragraphing
o
there is not a “frame” ® embodies liberty and freedom
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one full stop and lots of hyphens
o
full stop®
the only thing that the poet is definite®
she is certain that there is some that “stand beyond” life ®assuring herself
o
lots of hyphens
®
there’s no conclusion of this, hammers home the fact that there is eternity,
enjambment exemplifies flow of freedom
-
non-structural
o
there is no restriction and confinement
here
-
solid rhyme: “soul”, “roll”
FEATURES
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“gestures from the pulpit”
o
Gesturing from “the pulpit” may dull the pain
as a “narcotic” might; “Strong Hallelujahs” from the congregation might help,
too. But ultimately that “Tooth” will “nibble at our souls” until the day we
pass through that “Riddle”
-
Although there is no paragraphing , but we
could separate the verse by the poet’s flow of ideas
o
The first quatrains establishes the poet’s
belief that there are beings beyond earthly life. They are invisible, like
music, but as real as the sound that music makes.
o
Next we see that there is a world beyond this
one that “beckons” yet “baffles” us. Philosophy and wisdom can’t help us find
it. At the end we must all pass through that “Riddle” that is death to find out
what lies beyond.
o
Yet so great is the mystery that scholars
continually puzzle over it and the seekers have “borne / Contempt” of their
generation and even crucifixion to gain what seems to be the prize that beckons
-
“invisible, as music”
o
The analogy with music is a strong
affirmation of Dickinson’s belief, as well as being a concise example of how it
is possible to ‘intuit’ when there is no experience through our senses: music –
which can be heard but not seen – is a metaphor for knowing without empirical
evidence.
-
Faith in the afterlife is beyond reason and objective
experiment, regardless of some of Dickinson’s contemporaries’ efforts to weigh
the soul. But she also points to the martyrs of their faith who give all to
achieve it. But her feelings toward this religious view of the next life is
obvious. Religion, for Dickinson, cannot disguise the truth of our inevitable
leaning into eternity.
CONCLUSION
“Sagacity” cannot serve as the “narcotics” to our soul, but
the recognition of “this world is not conclusion” is sufficient to tranquilise and
lead us to liberation.
MAIN QUOTATIONS
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“narcotics cannot still the tooth, that nibbles
at the soul”
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“invisible, like music”, “species stand beyond”
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“faith slips, and laughs, and rallies”
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“twigs of evidence and ask a vane”
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“philosophy don't know, sagacity must go”
RHYMES
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solid rhyme: “roll”, “soul”
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