Powerpoint presentation for literary analysis

1. Mischelle C. Torregosa
Ph.D- ELT 2
ELT 334: Stylistics
Dr. Michele Rellita
Professor

2. I. Brief background of the poet
• Born into a wealthy and religious family in
Amherst, Mass. – obedient and well-
behaved – father is important politician, so
she takes part in community and family
events – learned to cook, sew and manage
a household.
• Attended Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary, a
boarding school, but did not take part in
activities much – described herself as a
“mourner among children.” – dropped out
after a year because she was homesick.
Emily
Dickinson
•1830 -

3. I. Brief background of the poet
• Emily fell in love with a married man
when she was 24 (he died of TB later
that year) – to avoid scandal, father (now
a Congressman) took her to Washington
and Philadelphia. The trip was not
successful.
• While in Philadelphia, Emily fell in love
with Charles Wadsworth, the pastor of
the Arch Street Presbyterian Church. He
asked to be transferred to San Fransisco.
Emily is destroyed.

4. I. Brief background of the poet • 1862 – Dickinson withdraws from
society and is rarely seen outside
her home – dresses only in white
now, like the bride she will not be
- maintains contact with friends
by sending them baked goods and
a poem for special occasions.
• Mentored by Thomas Higginson of
the Atlantic Monthly – she wrote
to him: “I’m nobody! Who are
you? / Are you nobody too?

5. I. Brief background of the poet • Dickinson’s poetry is typically brief –
only seven were published in her
lifetime (anonymously). Instructed
her family to destroy the poetry
when she died, but they discovered
bundles and bundles of poems. The
family assembled and edited the
poems and began to publish their
edited pieces.
• Dickinson wrote 1,775 poems in her
lifetime.

6. I’m Nobody! Who are you?
I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you—Nobody—too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Don’t tell! They’d banish us—
you know!
How dreary—to be—Somebody!
How public—like a Frog—
To tell your name—the
livelong June
To an admiring Bog!

7. II. Stylistic Analysis
The poem is simply as being about how it is
actually quite nice to be a Nobody rather than
a Somebody – that anonymity is preferable to
fame or public recognition.
Nobodies can stick together and revel in their
anonymity, but it’s more difficult to find
companionship and an equal when you’re in
the public eye. As the old line has it, it’s lonely
at the top.
Rather than buy the other old line – that fame
and distinction are unequivocally desirable –
Dickinson sees anonymity as an advantage.
The poet proudly declares her ordinariness,
her likeness to everyone else rather than her
uniqueness.

8. II.1 Structure
 The poem consists only of two stanzas,
though its seemingly simple form but it
never fails to convey its profound content.
 Accurate and direct wording features
largely in this poem. Simplicity is another
significant characteristic, both on the
lexical and syntactic levels.
 The language is refined, concise and
vivid. As for rhyme and rhythm, the poem
also deviates from the conventional
scheme.
 Similarly, the punctuation is very
distinctive, with only question marks,
exclamation marks and dashes used.

9. II.1 Structure
 In the poem dashes are unusually and largely used,
producing pause and transition both in the flow of
emotion and in the poetic rhythm. “Are you—
Nobody—too?” may serve as an example. With two
striking dashes lengthening the short sentence and
slowing down the otherwise hasty rhythm, here the
poetess seems to be making a casual dialogue with
the reader in a joyful and easy mood.
 The leisurely tone may make the readers readily
sympathize with the poetess’s satisfaction at being a
hermit and standing aloof from the worldly affairs.
Furthermore, placed between two dashes,“Nobody”
is in a way stressed and hence the theme of the
poem is also emphasized. Likewise, in“How dreary—
to be—Somebody! How public—like a Frog—”,
thanks to the dashes, the easygoing tone and
persuasive effect continue, and the poetic foot
remains diversified.

10. II.1 Structure • Another prominent feature typical of the poetess’s writing
technique, initial capitalization is also applied in this poem.
• “Nobody” in the first line, “Somebody” and “Frog” in the fifth line
and“Bog” in the last line are all characterized by capitalized
initials. Though it appears to be grammatically inappropriate, initial
capitalization brings a special stylistic effect. For instance, with
their initials stylistically capitalized,“Nobody” and“Somebody”
become conspicuous and therefore the relevant meaning behind
the words are accentuated—she would rather be“Nobody”, who
could enjoy herself in peace, than “Somebody”, who has to face
the scrutiny and jealousy of the world. In the same way, “Frog”
and “Bog” function stylistically to stress Dickinson’s disapproval of
being “Somebody” and her satire on the frog-like ostentation.
The“Frog” croaks in order to catch attention of the“Bog”.
Dickinson thinks that even if worshiped by the “Bog”, the croaking
“Frog” is still lonely.
• By means of initial capitalization, the poetess gives prominence to
not only the specific words but more importantly the theme of the
poet—she would like to be“Nobody”, instead of being“Somebody”
like the “Frog” croaking to the admiring “Bog”.

11. II.2 Words
Emily Dickinson readily admits to being a nobody and in
fact she even enjoys it. Unlike most people who try their best to
become somebody, Dickinson thinks it would be “dreary” to be
somebody. What she sees in being somebody is the dreariness,
instead of the notability or fortune. Disapproving of being an
ostentatious somebody, the poetess would rather be herself in a
self-effacing yet restful way. Being nobody, she does not have to
face the scrutiny or disapproval of people who are likely to be
jealous of her popularity. She does not have to play games, or
put on an act. Based on the above interpretation, we could see
that this poem demonstrates Dickinson’s philosophy, her
attitude toward life—in her eye, spiritual contentment definitely
outweighs material satisfaction.

12. II.2 Words
In this sense, this poem seems to take on an atmosphere of
meditation of Buddhism, which disdains the vainness of material
wealth and advocates the spiritual nirvana. Despite her avoidance of
publicity and ostentation, the poetess still longs to communicate with
congenial souls. Dickinson is amused to meet a fellow nobody, a
friend—“Are you—Nobody—too? Then there’s a pair of us! ”
Together, the two nobodies could enjoy each other’s company and
their shared seclusion. As a pair, they could live a comfortable life in
the society of nobodies, and the poetess does not want the peace to
be disturbed. That’s why she says, "Don't tell! They’d banish us, you
know.” In the second stanza, the poetess draws a picture of
“Somebody” trying to stay in the limelight. By metaphorically depicting
a frog croaking“to an admiring Bog”, she successfully satirizes those
who are eager to attract public notice in the noisy society. Dickinson
holds that it is much more important and meaningful to have a friend
who understands you and accepts you as you are than to be admired
by those ignorant and snobbish people in the bustling society.

13. II.3 Phonology
The rhyme scheme is erratic: the two
stanzas roughly rhyme abcb, as with most
of Dickinson’s poems, but this is unsettled
right from the start:
The rhyme of ‘too’ and ‘know’ is
only half-rhyme: ‘too’ looks back to
‘you’ (‘Who are you?’) more than it
looks forward to ‘know’ (‘know’ itself
picks up on the ‘No’ of ‘Nobody’).
The use of the longer word
‘advertise’ among shorter, simpler
words draws our attention to that
word, and this is deliberate. Nobody
draws attention to Nobodies; but to
do so would be to attempt to make
them conspicuous, to advertise them,
and the word advertise (easily the
longest word in the stanza) is itself
conspicuous in the poem.

14. II.3 Phonology
The rhyme scheme in the second stanza is
more conventional (Frog/Bog), but the
imagery is enigmatic. Why is a ‘Somebody’
like a frog? Because it croaks its (self-
)importance constantly, to remind its
surroundings that it is – indeed –
Somebody? Or because there is something
slimy and distasteful about people who
possess smug self-importance because
they are ‘Somebodies’.

15. II.4 Syntax
First Stanza
The first line contains a declaration, the speaker boldly claiming that she is a nobody, a nonentity,
which is a paradox in itself. How can a nobody end up in a poem, on show for all to see?
The exclamation mark only adds to the puzzle. Is the speaker excited to be a nobody? Or has she
shocked herself by revealing that, yes, it's true, she confesses at last. Being a Nobody is preferable to
being a Somebody.
And then the extraordinary reaching out to the reader in a child-like playful fashion. The speaker
wants a secretive liaison, a private relationship which is a tongue-in-cheek partnership. And it must be
kept quiet because if they get to know they'll broadcast it to the whole world! This is a comical take on
the world of fame and celebrity.
In an earlier revised version of the poem (Johnson) the fourth line reads:
They'd banish us, you know.
But a later and more accurate published collection by R.W. Franklin in 1998, based on the actual
written manuscripts, returns the true fourth line:
Don't tell! they'd advertise - you know!
I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!

16. II.4 Syntax
How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!
Second Stanza
What makes this poem so powerful is the fact that it resonates with a modern audience today.
The cult of celebrity dominates the popular press and media; cultivating the right public persona is
everything, the pressure to be a somebody, a perfect social being, is enormous.
Emily Dickinson chose to contrast her Nobody of the first stanza with a Somebody, a frog, in
the second, and used the adjective dreary to describe what it is to be a Somebody.
Frogs go public at mating time when the males gather to find a partner and establish territory,
so whilst the action is instinctive it is still, to the speaker, dull and boring and vulgar.
The tone is mocking - to be a Somebody, with a bloated ego, self-important, needing the
admiration of the masses, is to be a bit of a loser. Ironically, this Nobody of the first stanza, in
cahouts with the reader, is poking fun at the false pretence of those who parade their egos in open
view, those who seek fame in a name.
In some respects, this poem reflects nothing but the naive thoughts of an introverted child
locked up in an adult persona, having to come to terms with the outside world, where the extroverts
live.
Being a Nobody is to shun the fifteen minutes of fame, to be wary of the negative influence of
public opinion and to remain humble and not to rely on the masses for self-worth.

17. II.5 Figures of Speech
• The sixth line of the poem “How public—like a
Frog—”is an example of simile. “Somebody” is
vividly compared to a frog ceaselessly croaking
in order to catch attention and acquire
admiration.
• In the last line“To an admiring Bog! ”,“an admiring
Bog” metaphorically refers to those who blindly
admire and envy celebrities. Dickinson holds that
the“admiring Bog” is inhuman, to the“Frog” more
of an environment than a companion. In the
scene created by the poetess, a frog spends“the
livelong June”, which is a metaphorical
representation of one’s heyday in life,
continuously croaking to get attention and
admiration from the lifeless bog, just as those
somebodies keep showing off to be noticed and
worshiped by their ignorant and soulless
followers.

18. II.5 Figures of Speech
Though “admired”, neither the frog nor
those somebodies are spiritually
sympathized with—they are lonely at the
bottom of their hearts. Dickinson disdains
such impersonal relationship and
estrangement between hearts. She
cherishes real friendship and spiritual
communication between souls, even if
she remains in the society of nobodies.
Though she lived by herself during
almost her whole life, Dickinson was a
passionate poetess. Under her
seemingly indifference hid her inner love
for nature, family and friends.

19. III. Conclusion
By stylistically analyzing I am Nobody! Who
are you?, we could better understand the
poem itself as well as the author—Emily
Dickinson, the greatest reclusive poetess in
American literary history
that it is quite nicer being a Nobody rather
than a Somebody – that anonymity is
preferable to fame or public recognition. ...
Rather than buy the other old line – that
fame and distinction are unequivocally
desirable – Dickinson sees anonymity as
an advantage.

20. Thank you very
much!
References：
1. Geoffrey N. Leech and Michael H. Short.
Style in fiction[M]. Foreign Language Teaching
and Research Press,2001. [2] Mick Short.
Exploring the Language of Poems [M] .Plays
and Prose. Longman, New York, 1996
2. www.loc.gov/poetry/
www.poetryfoundation.org Norton
Anthology, Norton, 2005