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Chapter1
TheDualisticNatureofSuffering
ChapterOnefocusesonsufferingasthethemeofEmilyDickinson,spo-
ems.Itpresentsthedualisticnatureofsufferingthedispiritingandem-
poweringsidewhichthepoetillustratedinherverse.FollowingJulia
Kristeva,sconceptthatlackisastartingpointforthecreativeprocess,four
typesoflack,whichbecamethebasisforthemostagonisingpoems,have
beendistinguished:lackofmaternallove,lackofromanticlove,lackof
Godandlackofhealth.Juxtaposedinthesecondsectionarethecom-
pensatory,rewardingaspectsofsuffering:theconceptofimmortality,an
unorthodoxfemininerole,rageasaconstructivefactorandthenewspir-
ituality.Theprocessofthoughttransformationdenotesthepoet,shealing
processorusingKristeva,stermasuccessfulmourningforthelostThing.
1.1.Sufferingasadispiritingfactor
Shewalkedthislife…withtherm
stepofmartyrswhosingwhile
theysuffer…(qtd.inFarr13)
Whenwecomeintocontactwithgreatartweoftenaskourselvesques-
tionsaboutitsorigin;whatinspiredthegenius,wheredidtheenergythat
sustainedyears-longeffortcomefrom.GaboraandHolmesintheiressay
ReflectionontheCreativeWritingProcesscontemplatetheconnectionbe-
tweensufferingandart.Theyobservethatwhatdifferentiatescreative
individualsistheirsensitivitywhichoftenensuressufferingandtheten-
dencytoemotionalinstability.Criticstendtodisregardthebiographical
pressurethatcompelsinventivecreationandsodotheartistswhoprefer
sayingthattheirworkisindependentfrompersonalexperiences,however
thefactremainsthattheyoftentapintotheirmemoriesanddrawwidely
fromtherichesandpainthathaveaccumulatedforyears(4).
Mostcriticsagreethatitwasdeficiencyandmentaltormentthatin-
spiredEmilyDickinson,swork.JohnCodymadeanobservationthatthe
poet“nevercitedazestforliving,asenseofecstasy,orafeelingofful-
filmentasthespringboardsofhercreativeoutpouring”(490).Although
heseemstobeconvincedthatthepoetwrotetoeaseherpain,healso
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