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Introduction
TheMartyrPoetsdidnottell
ButwroughttheirPangsinsyllable
Thatwhentheirmortalnamebenumb
TheirmortalfateencourageSome
(Dickinson265)
Sufferingisoneofthosetaboowordsthatpeopleprefertoavoid,perhaps
becauseitisassociatedwithweaknessanddefeat.Yet,itisthemostuni-
versalfeelinginextricablyconnectedwithhumanexistence.EmilyDickin-
sonisamongthosepoetswhoconfrontedpainandgaveitanewmeaning.
Livingthelifeofareclusethepoetconcentratedonherintensiveinner
lifeusingheranxietiesandpersonaltranscendenceasthesubjectmatter
ofherpoems.Translationofherpainfulexperiencesintoametaphorre-
sultedinthemostvividandoriginalverse.Recognizingthehealingpower
ofpoetryDickinsonuseditasself-therapyandreachedouttoallthose
grippedbypain.Inoneofherlettersshewrote:“Mybusinessistolove”
and“Mybusinessistosing”(Dickinson,Todd146).
Thepoet,sbiggestachievementasaconsolerwastodemonstratethe
dualisticnatureofsuffering.Sheshowedthatontheonehandpainactsas
adispiritingfactorwhichdeprivesusofmotivationandreducesustoour
physicalnature,butontheotheritcanelevateusspirituallyandleadtoa
moreprofoundperceptionoflife.Inherexplorationofthecomplexityof
painsheemphasizesitscentralpositioninlife.Thecommonobservation
thepoetmakesinherworkisthatwhilepleasureisoccasional,suffering
ismorewidespreadandfeltwithgreaterintensity.Whilegrievingover
lossesandlamentingthetransientcharacterofthingssheshowedfeelings
ofagonyacuteenoughtostiflevitalityanddrainthespirit.However,in
manypoems,shepointstothefactthatwithoutsufferingtherewouldbe
noexperienceofdelight.Justasablindmanlearnsoftheexistenceofthe
sun,weshouldlearntorecognizesufferingascrucialforexperiencingjoy
andelation.Sorrow,bybringingintensificationofexperience,givesbetter
insightintothetruenatureofthingsandthuscanbeawaytoraiseoneself
abovethecommonplace.Inmanypoemsthepoetcelebratesthepowerto
transcendone,svulnerabilityandrisebeyondsuffering(Scheurich195).
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