Emily Dickinson Nobody
Emily Dickinson’s poem “I’m Nobody! Who are You?”, gives the word “nobody” a whole new meaning. She uses distinctive punctuation and wording to suggest that being well-known in life is not as great as it seems. Her poem implies that it is far better to go through life as a humble nobody than a proud somebody.
At the start of the poem, Dickinson exclaims that she is a nobody. This is something that most people would be ashamed of, but her use of an exclamation point suggests that she is proud of who she is. Dickinson’s poem appears to be a conversation with an unnamed person, perhaps the reader. Her word choice, especially in the first stanza, is what makes it feel as if she is talking directly to the person reading her poem. Along with the exclamation points, the use of dashes also gives the idea that being a nobody is something special. She asks the question, “Are you – Nobody – too?” (Dickinson 2). The way that the word “nobody” is set apart, gives the idea that Dickinson really wants others to think about the meaning of it. She continues on to discover that she is not the only nobody; the reader happens to be one too. This seems to excite her and the …show more content…
She makes it clear that being a somebody is boring and she would not want to be classified with that group of people. Dickenson compares the people who are somebodies to frogs that continue to croak to the world without receiving any kind of response. She says, “How dreary – to be – somebody! How public – like a frog” (Dickinson 5-6). This comparison seems unusual at first, however, somebodies spend most of their time telling others how great they are, just like frogs that continue to croak in a pond for no particular reason. They have nothing better to do than to continuously advertise themselves to maintain their own status or
At the start of the poem, Dickinson exclaims that she is a nobody. This is something that most people would be ashamed of, but her use of an exclamation point suggests that she is proud of who she is. Dickinson’s poem appears to be a conversation with an unnamed person, perhaps the reader. Her word choice, especially in the first stanza, is what makes it feel as if she is talking directly to the person reading her poem. Along with the exclamation points, the use of dashes also gives the idea that being a nobody is something special. She asks the question, “Are you – Nobody – too?” (Dickinson 2). The way that the word “nobody” is set apart, gives the idea that Dickinson really wants others to think about the meaning of it. She continues on to discover that she is not the only nobody; the reader happens to be one too. This seems to excite her and the …show more content…
She makes it clear that being a somebody is boring and she would not want to be classified with that group of people. Dickenson compares the people who are somebodies to frogs that continue to croak to the world without receiving any kind of response. She says, “How dreary – to be – somebody! How public – like a frog” (Dickinson 5-6). This comparison seems unusual at first, however, somebodies spend most of their time telling others how great they are, just like frogs that continue to croak in a pond for no particular reason. They have nothing better to do than to continuously advertise themselves to maintain their own status or