Analysis of 'Otherwise' by Jane Kenyon

In literature, themes shape and characterize an author’s writing making each work unique as different points of view are expressed within a writing’s words and sentences. This is the case, for example, of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee” and Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death.” Both poems focus on the same theme of death, but while Poe’s poem reflects that death is an atrocious event because of the suffering and struggle that it provokes, Dickinson’s poem reflects that death is humane and that it should not be feared as it is inevitable. The two poems have both similarities and differences, and the themes and characteristics of each poem can be explained by the author’s influences and lives.

Death is something that at some point will come to each of us and has been explored in many forms of literature. “The Raven” and “Incident in a Rose Garden” are two poems that explore common beliefs and misconceptions about death. Though both poems differ in setting, tone, and mood there are surprising similarities in the literary tools they use and in the messages they attempt to convey. The setting and mood establish the tone and feel of a poem. In “The Raven” we are launched into a bleak and dreary winters night where a depressed narrator pines for his dead girlfriend.

Throughout the poem, the author creates different tones using different types of figurative language and diction. The poet starts off the poem with the metaphor, “Although she feeds me

Death is a controversial and sensitive subject. When discussing death, several questions come to mind about what happens in our afterlife, such as: where do you go and what do you see? Emily Dickinson is a poet who explores her curiosity of death and the afterlife through her creative writing ability. She displays different views on death by writing two contrasting poems: one of a softer side and another of a more ridged and scary side. When looking at dissimilar observations of death it can be seen how private and special it is; it is also understood that death is inevitable so coping with it can be taken in different ways. Emily Dickinson’s poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died” show both

Here’s some background information about myself: I am 19 years old, I am a Christian, and this is my Sophomore year of college. In the poem, two older women are talking about their views on life. The significant thing about their conversation is the fact that they both have two different ideas as to what life has left to offer them. They both agree that in the beginning life was sweet. I believe they were referring to how life was when they were younger women. They felt that life was rich and pure during those specific years. The first woman then goes on to say that life eventually grew

A Close Reading of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Gilman uses this psychological horror story to criticize the position of women within the constraints of marriage at this time. We see the narrator’s personality and character change throughout the story spiraling even more into her own insanity. When this story was written ideals suggested that a woman's place was in the private domain of the home, where she should carry out the roles of wife and mother.

Both the “Valediction Forbidding Mourning” by John Donne and “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson contain age-old themes. These themes focus on inevitable feelings and events of life; love and death. Although both “Valediction Forbidding Mourning” and “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” contain the two themes, they differ greatly in how they are presented and what they represent. In “Valediction Forbidding Mourning,” a husband traveling away from his wife is consoling her.

In Jane Kenyon’s poem, “Otherwise,” she describes her routine of the day. She describes how her morning started to how her day ended. However, everything she did during the day could have happened differently. Everything could have been otherwise. Knowing that all the events in her day could have been otherwise, this allows Kenyon to have a peace of mind of that things were not otherwise. With this peace of mind, she is able to look at her life and appreciate the menial things in life. She is able to appreciate the ability to do work and the quality of life that she has. Though these events were not otherwise during that day, she knows that otherwise will be here. Through the peace and appreciation, there exists an offsetting feeling of what otherwise can be and when will it come for her. While in her poem “Otherwise”, Jane Kenyon uses various poetic devices to convey concepts peace, appreciation and death.

The astonishing poem, Perhaps by Vera Brittain is engaging and intuitive to the reader. interprets to the reader through her writing how she feels when trying to accept the passing of loved ones, specifically her fiance as to whom she wrote this for. The reader can interpret this by of the use of the word Perhaps, which were in the first line of every stanza. Reading Perhaps and understanding the way Brittain is with her words could remind readers of a loved one that might have passed away, also reminding them of the way they have accepted their loved one's death or even how to.

Dreams and visions in Jane Eyre play a significant part in Jane’s life. Jane although being a very realistic and logical person believes in these superstitious signs and is aware of their importance but does not show her understanding openly. She keeps her visions to herself and only expresses them through her paintings.

“You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not live here with gentleman’s children like us and eat the same meals as we do,” is the first real sign of the cruelty Jane faces in her childhood (Bronte 6). This causes her to live in her head about her status in society. Due to the mistreatment from

The scene is described as a dark night, but with an open deep blue sky. She says on the way to her new house that the scenery is less romantic. The and repeated use of “lingered” and “paced” makes the reader think that Jane is bored in some way. Why would she be lingering around if she had some place to be? She even says few pages before that she is constantly restless. “It is vain to say human beings out to be satisfied with tranquility; they must have action;” She finds herself in a safe and accepting environment and she gets bored. Jane tends to get lost in her imagination. She always looks for somewhere to escape. It is strange, however, that while she gets caught up in her fantasies, she believes that it is the “little things” that bring her back to earth. No matter how far away her visions take her, she always decides to come back to her “bored”

The poems broader theme is that you can’t always have what you want in life because the tone of longing in

Emily Dickinson once said, “Dying is a wild night and a new road.” Some people welcome death with open arms while others cower in fear when confronted in the arms of death. Through the use of ambiguity, metaphors, personification and paradoxes Emily Dickinson still gives readers a sense of vagueness on how she feels about dying. Emily Dickinson inventively expresses the nature of death in the poems, “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain (280)”, “I Heard a fly Buzz—When I Died—(465)“ and “Because I could not stop for Death—(712)”.

The stanzas are almost equal in length, and therefore the printing looks simple. This paired with the strict rhyming pattern creates a rigid structure that reflects the confinement of Aunt Jennifer in her marriage, as well as emphasises her inner freedom.