“If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?”
Examples of Usage:
"When discussing the power and impact of poetry, Emily Dickinson famously stated, “If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry."
Quote Analysis
In this quote, Emily Dickinson beautifully captures the essence of poetry as a transformative and powerful art form. She describes the profound impact that poetry can have on an individual, likening it to a sensation that penetrates not just the mind, but the entire body. By using vivid imagery and physical sensations like feeling cold or as if one's head is being lifted off, Dickinson conveys the visceral and overwhelming experience of encountering truly remarkable poetry. This quote underscores the idea that poetry has the ability to evoke strong emotions and transport the reader to a different state of being. Dickinson's words serve as a reminder of the profound effect that poetry can have on those who are willing to embrace its power.
Modern Relevance
In today's fast-paced world, where distractions are abundant and attention spans are decreasing, Emily Dickinson's definition of poetry still holds true. It reminds us that true poetry can evoke strong, visceral reactions that transcend the physical world. In a time where instant gratification is often sought after, Dickinson's words serve as a reminder of the power and impact that poetry can have on our emotions and perceptions.
Reflection Questions
In Emily Dickinson's quote, she describes the visceral experience of reading poetry. Reflect on your own experiences with poetry and consider the following questions:
- Have you ever read a poem that has made you feel physically cold or as if the top of your head were taken off? What was it about that poem that evoked such a strong reaction in you?
- How do you personally define poetry? Do you agree with Dickinson's assertion that poetry is something that can evoke strong physical sensations?
- Can you think of any other ways to define or identify poetry beyond the physical reactions described by Dickinson? What other qualities or characteristics do you associate with poetry?
Similar quotes
“If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.”
“I saw the gooseflesh on my skin. I did not know what made it. I was not cold. Had a ghost passed over? No, it was the poetry. A spark flew off Arnold and shook me, like a chill. I wanted to cry; I felt very odd. I had fallen into a new way of being happy.”
“Christmas poem to a man in jailhello Bill Abbott:I appreciate your passing around my books injail there, my poems and stories.if I can lighten the load for some of those guys withmy books, fine.but literature, you know, is difficult for theaverage man to assimilate (and for the unaverage man too);I don't like most poetry, for example,so I write mine the way I like to read it.”
“I love myself just the way I am. I can do anything I believe i can. My positive thoughts make me feel good. Just the way know I should.”
“PoetryAnd it was at that age... Poetry arrived in search of me. I don’t know, I don’t know where it came from, from winter or a river. I don’t know how or when, no, they were not voices, they were notwords, nor silence, but from a street I was summoned, from the branches of night, abruptly from the others, among violent fires or returning alone, there I was without a face and it touched me. I did not know what to say, my mouthhad no way with names my eyes were blind, and something started in my soul, fever or forgotten wings, and I made my own way, deciphering that fire and I wrote the first faint line,faint, without substance, purenonsense, pure wisdom of someone who knows nothing, and suddenly I saw the heavens unfastened and open, planets, palpitating planations, shadow perforated, riddled with arrows, fire and flowers, the winding night, the universe. And I, infinitesimal being, drunk with the great starry void, likeness, image of mystery, I felt myself a pure part of the abyss, I wheeled with the stars, my heart broke free on the open sky.”