EMILY DICKINSON’S THE LIGHTNING IS A YELLOW FORK ANALYSIS by Yolanda Ayu B.
Abstract
This paper, the
writer tries to analyze a poem, entitled “The Lightning is a Yellow Fork “
written by EmilyDickinson. The purpose of this writing is to analyze the poem
intrinsically. This research uses Imagery (Visual Imagery) and Symbol as a
Figurative Language.
Keywords: Emily
Dickinson, Visual Imagery, Symbol.
1.
Introduction
The
poem “The Lightning is A Yellow Fork” by Emily Dickinson uses lightning, a
common thing, to question the existence of God. Dickinson says that
lightning is like a fork that is dropped from the sky inadvertently.
2.
Methodology
a.
To analyze the symbol in Emily
Dickinson, The Lightning is a Yellow Fork.
b.
To analyze the imagery in Emily Dickinson, The Lightning is a Yellow Fork.
3.
Research Object
Research objective are the result sought by the
researcher at the end of the research process, i.e. what the reseacher will be
able to achieve at the end of the research study.
4.
Biography and Poetry
In
this part contains the biography of Emily Dickinson and the poem.
a. Biography of Emily Dickinson.
EmilyDickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. She
attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, but only for one
year. Throughout her life, she seldom left her home and visitors were
few. The people with whom she did come in contact, however, had an
enormous impact on her poetry. She was particularly stirred by the
Reverend Charles Wadsworth, whom she first met on a trip to
Philadelphia. He left for the West Coast shortly after a visit to her home
in 1860, and some critics believe his departure gave rise to the heartsick flow
of verse from Dickinson in the years that followed.While it is certain that he
was an important figure in her life, it is not clear that their relationship
was romantic—she called him “my closest earthly friend.” Other
possibilities for the unrequited love that was the subject of many of
Dickinson’s poems include Otis P. Lord, a Massachusetts Supreme Court judge,
and Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican.
Taken
from: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/emily-dickinson.
b.
The Poem
The
Lightning Is A Yellow Fork
By
: Emily Dickinson
The
Lightning is a yellow Fork
From Tables in the sky
By inadvertent fingers dropt
The awful Cutlery
Of mansions never quite disclosed
And never quite concealed
The Apparatus of the Dark
To ignorance revealed.
From Tables in the sky
By inadvertent fingers dropt
The awful Cutlery
Of mansions never quite disclosed
And never quite concealed
The Apparatus of the Dark
To ignorance revealed.
5.
Discussion
Discussion
of the elements here is focussed on the aspect of intrinsic elements.
a. Symbol
Symbol
is one of intrinsic element that is often in poetry. There is definitions of symbol according to Laurence
Perrine (1969:83): “A symbol may be roughly defined as
something that means more than what it is.
Stanza
1 Line 1
The Lightning is a yellow Fork
In
this stanza has two symbol that will be discussed. The first one is The
Lightning, it is simply referring to the things like lightning only offer us
glimpses of something that may never be completely revealed. The second is a
yellow Fork. It is just a dinner fork that has a yellow color from the house/ the mansions. But, Dickinson
might be taking that old phrase about a "fork of lightning"
literally. We usually think of lightning as majestic.
Stanza
1 Line 2
From Tables in the sky
This
line, sky means that above, above the table and it is the fork in. Again we
look upward and imagine "Tables in the sky" it might the fork has
fallen from somewhere, right? In this
case, the fork has fallen from the dinning table.
Stanza
1 Line 4
The awful Cutlery
In
this line, the cutlery seems to belong to an enormous, not-quite-visible
household somewhere up there. Awful Cutlery,
may also means "awful" in its original sense of awe- or
dread-inspiring. This is the most amazing and terrifying fork.
Stanza
2 Line 1 and 2
Of mansions never quite disclosed
And never quite concealed
In
this stanza, the mansions is a mysterious house up in the sky, which is neither
seen nor unseen. Never quite disclosed and never quite concealed suggests that
we're always aware that it's there, but we can't see it. The word
"mansions" suggests to us that it's a mysterious dwelling places.
Stanza
2 Line 3
The Apparatus of the Dark
This
line, seems to indicate symbol of the workings of the sky. We can take
this to refer to the literal "dark," as in the night sky. This
half-revealed "Apparatus," or the shady framework of the mansions.
b.
Imagery
The
meaning of Imagery according to X.J Kennedy in Literature : An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (1979:464)
“A word or sequence of words that refers to any sensory experience.”. This
introductory section is designed to acquaint students with the various types of
images—visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, kinetic, and
kinesthetic—all of which account for the appeal and validity of poetry. There
are several type of imagery , but this
study will only focus on visual imagery.
Stanza
1 Line 1 and 2
The Lightning is a yellow Fork
From Tables in the sky
Both
of his lines are a visual imagery. Here, the readers can imagine the
striking lightning as a yellow fork. Imagine it's a dark and stormy
night. You hear thunder rumbling and then see a sudden flash as a golden
dinner fork falls from the sky and spears the ground.
Stanza
1 Line 4
The awful Cutlery
This
line contains a visual imagery. The readers are able to imagine how awful the cutlery
. We're starting to get a feeling that this poem isn't just about lightning
being huge and fork-like, but maybe as a symbol of something even bigger and
more awe-inspiring.
Stanza
2 Line 1,2,3,4
Of mansions never quite disclosed
And never quite concealed
The Apparatus of the Dark
To ignore revealed.
All
of this stanza, contains a visual imagery . The "mansions" described
in this poem are, in fact, barely described at all. The second stanza
evasively talks around the big houses in the sky. It hints at
them but doesn't dare describe them. The readers can make a conclusion, they're
(The mansions) not for us to see. We get glimpses of the
"Apparatus" of divine power, but we aren't allowed to know anything
more specific about it. The "mansions" are framed as shady, obscure,
and half-seen, and we remain mostly "ignorant" of their true nature.
6.
Conclusion
The Lightning is a yellow Fork is a poem written by Emily Dickinson. This poem
is interesting because the poet sees a bolt of lightning and reflects on how
the bolt is like a fork. This leads her into an imaginative meditation on
this piece of awe-inspiring cutlery: if the lightning is a fork, it falls from
some mysterious table, dropped accidentally by some mysterious hand, in some
mysterious house. We can't ever see who's doing the dropping, or where
they live, but the glimpse of the falling "fork," the poem concludes,
reveals to us (poor, ignorant humans that we are) the fact that these greater
powers are out there.
7.
References
Perrine,
Laurence. 1969. Sound And Sense, An
Introduction to Poetry, Third
Edition.USA:Harcourt,
Brace and World, Inc.
Kennedy,
X.J. 1979. Literature : An Introduction
to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama.
USA. Little Brown &
Company.
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