CIRCUMSCRIBING MEANING: HOW EMILY DICKINSON USES RIDDLES AND LETTERS TO EXPRESS OPEN-ENDED IDEAS
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Abstract
This study explores the indirect and open-ended poetic style of the American poet Emily Dickinson (1830–1886). Rather than giving direct answers or clear moral lessons, Dickinson creates poems that leave room for multiple interpretations. This article focuses on two central strategies in her writing: first, her practice of blending poems into her personal letters; and second, her use of riddle structures—specifically enigmas—that describe a topic indirectly without ever naming it directly. By analyzing her original handwritten manuscripts alongside critical studies, this paper shows how early print editors altered her line breaks, punctuation, and poem-letter structures to fit traditional Victorian expectations. The study concludes that Dickinson’s evasive style is not an accidental flaw or lack of formal skill, but an intentional technique designed to show the complexity of nature, death, and human thought.
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References
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