Emily Dickinson's A Narrow Fellow In The Grass

The author uses imagery to characterize the snake and emphasize the importance of its life. When the narrator first approaches the snake, he observes how the snake “held his ground in calm watchfulness; he was not even rattling yet, much less was he coiled; he was waiting for me to show my intentions.” This description uses specific details of the snake’s actions to illustrate how the snake reacts nonviolently. In fact, the snake waits to see what the narrator does instead of attacking outright,

“The Rattler” Analytical Essay Authors often use literary devices to display to the reader a greater sense of depth within a piece of literature. The literary devices in “The Rattler” are used to create a fuller meaning within its story. Patric uses these devices to describe and explain the suspenseful encounter between a man and a snake. As a result, the story becomes much more intriguing to the reader’s eyes. In Patric’s “The Rattler,” the reader imagines the story’s events through the use of diction, detail, and point of view.

Did you know that rattle snakes can camouflage itself in the desert? That makes it easier for them to strike their prey with their powerful fangs and dangerous venom that can shut down its preys nervous system kill it. In A.S. Patric the author of “The Rattler” affects the reader by making his audience feel sympathy for the man and the snake, and also teaching him/her about the struggles of decision making through his frequent use of figurative language, diction, and Mood in his passage. How would you feel if you had to make a decision on two hard choices? In the text Patric creates a sense of sympathy for the reader about the snake in the following text, “Then for a moment I could see him as I might have let him go” (Patric, pp.6).

The third stanza describes the snake as “cool and gleaming as a braided whip” (9-10). Describing the snake as a braided whip demonstrates the intricate woven pattern of the snake’s scales and the poet’s appreciation for nature and its’ beauty. The snake is not a useless piece of rubber, but a beautiful and vibrant part of nature. “He is as beautiful and quiet as a bead brother” (10-11). The snake is quiet, makes no sound, and snuggles into

The most used sense in this particular poem is that of the visual, in which Dickinson uses it in every stanza. The visual sense seems to be the most powerful tool in presenting an idea to someone. Although we will not all create the same picture in our mind we do share the same common or given characteristics. Dickinson describes the snake as it suddenly emerges from the grass and then its outward physical appearance. Then the location is visually created as it is described as a “boggy acre,” this is where we all create our own picture of the location of the poem. Another appealing visual aspect is the “Whip lash” unbraiding in the sun, the boy completely unaware of what the rope

Unlike in “A Bird came down the Walk,” Dickinson is interacting with nature in “A narrow Fellow in the Grass,” and she, once again, can be seen experiencing a feeling of ambivalence about nature. When Dickinson writes “His notice instant is - (4)” she seems to describe the two being spontaneously spooked by each other’s presence. However, later in the poem, Dickinson says:

The Narrow Fellow in The Grass is a poem by Emily Dickinson who portrays the hidden creature in the grass. In the starting we are curious to learn more about the creature and figure out its character. Halfway through the poem, the poetess gives evidences of the snake’s constant appearances and disappearances. This tends the reader to perceive the snake to be a trickster leading to a sense of deception.

Two of Dickinson’s universal techniques are metaphor and the fresh application of language; both techniques result in powerful images, and can be seen in two of her poems that focus on nature themes, “ A Bird came down the Walk” and “narrow Fellow.” She closes the poem, “ A Bird” with a stanza equating flight through the air with movement through water,

Then the snake can be analysed as a symbol of corruption and of perfidy. Satan uses a disguise, a snake to talk to eve. He uses his beauty, his eloquence to seduce her. His wave movements, looking like a dance, and his attitude (“Fawning, and licking the ground whereon she strod” on verse 526) can be interpreted as a nuptial parade with the snake playing on the primal instinct (which are restricted by religion) of Man to attract Eve in his trap. It is also interesting to note that the occurence of the word Satan is, as Satan himself, disguised in this passage. Here Satan is refered to as “the snake” or “the enemy of mankind” on verse 494. The word Satan can only be seen if the reader looks closely at the poem: an acrostic is hidden from verse 510 to 515. This clever technic reflects the vicious strategy of the Devil in the passage.

In this section, the image of the snake as the God is portrayed. D. H. Lawrence says that it is “unseeing” because God cannot be seen as creator in anyway. So, at one stage, the position of animal is God-like. The poet points out that the animal lifted his head and flickered his tongue like a stormy night as the simile in the poem indicates and finally disappeared for a while under the earth near the wall garden of D. H. Lawrence.

They ‘froze’ suggesting terror, but the fact that they ‘lost breath’ and their ‘eyes went with him’ indicate that they couldn’t divert their sight as they were mesmerized. At the end of the poem she and her companion also share a significant look which makes them seem like they are breath taken and trying to digest the majestic qualities that this animal possesses, alongside being wary of its threat. Wright also describes the snake as ‘he’ rather than ‘it’. Personifying the snake shows the high regard the poet has for the animal, it also portrays it as a fellow companion rather than a specie which is viewed as less worthy. She writes with respect and high esteem for the snake, but is still utterly shaken by the

Emily Dickinson is an ambivalent person. She has two feelings that conflict with each other towards nature and animals. Dickinson is puzzled when it comes to nature. She does not know how to feel because she does not understand it. Dickson has disturbing and beautiful feelings towards nature. She also knows that it is instinctive for people to have a bond with animals, but she believes them to be deceptive. In the poems “Apparently with no surprise,” “A narrow Fellow in the Grass,” and “A Bird, came down the Walk,” Emily Dickinson reveals her ambivalence towards nature.

Comparing the snake's actions to the docile, accustomed behaviour of a primarily agricultural species lessens the threat that the snake projects, yet the poem's tension is not respectively decreased. Ironically, the stereotypically conniving, quick-witted serpent image in not reflected in this simile. Cattle are slow, tribal

The theme of this poem is therefore based on man’s vulnerability to nature and the way that creatures such as snakes represent a type of danger that is important to be respectful and mindful of. This poem also reminds the reader of the healthy respect they need to have for nature and the natural order.

Dickinson goes in detail that she is seeing creature living in the grass, but she does not know what it is. She begins the story with, “A Narrow Fellow in the Grass, / Occasionally rides---” (651). It looks like the creature is a snake. Nature has a lot of snakes crawling around outside. She also states that, “You may have met Him---did you not, / His notice sudden is---” (651). It’s asking someone if they have met the snake and to see if the snake saw the narrator or not. For instance, a person can see a snake sometimes outside. If it blends in the grass, there is no-telling what the snake might do the