Emily Dickinson And The Conqueror Worm Essay

In Emily Dickinson’s 69th poem, she metaphorically describes the dangers of one’s own thoughts. Dickinson believes that it is much safer to meet an external demon, than meet an internal demon, because these internal demons are the real threat to humanity. Edgar Allen Poe seems to agree with Dickinson through his vivid description of humanity, death, and other supernatural beings in “The Conqueror Worm”. “The Conqueror Worm” shows the story of humanity in a theatrical sense where humanity is completely at the mercy fear, anxiety and shame while death is the hero and angles sit helpless in the audience. Dickinson explains the more significant threat internal demons have over the greatly feared external demons, while Poe goes on to theatrically portray the same idea of an internal demon’s power over humanity. Poe’s description of humanity is very significant in describing the effects internal and external conflicts. Mimes, or puppets, are how humanity is portrayed in the tragedy of “Man”. The mime metaphor shows how human beings are not in control of what goes on in their life. The voice of humanity is nothing more than a “mutter and mumble low”, unable to be heard by
Dickinson never even mentions a saving grace, but only of internal and external demons. Poe also shows how angles have no role in the tragedy of “Man”. The angles “[drown] in tears/[as they] sit in a theatre, to see/A play of hopes and fears” (4-6). The emotions Poe shows the angles having also portrays the power of madness and sin. Angles are meant to serve God, and they are sobbing at the “motley drama” that “shall not be forgot”, because they are witnessing “Mimes, int he form of God on high” be subjected to the merciless interior and exterior demons (17-18, 9). The role angles do not play in both of these poems shows the overwhelming power and presence demons have in