Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- How does Dickinson's use of unconventional capitalization affect the poem?
- What impact do the editorial changes mentioned in the first and last stanzas have on the overall meaning and sound of the poem?
- Dickinson includes some very specific details in this poem, such as the Frankfort Berries, Manzanilla, and even Seraphs. Do you feel that these specific details enhance the imagery of the poem, or do they take away from it? Why?
- In comparison to many other poets of her time, as well as much of her own work, this poem is pretty light stuff. How seriously do you think Dickinson is taking herself in this poem? Do you think she may have even been using this to poke fun at other more stern poets who were writing about spiritual ecstasy, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and his poem "Bacchus"?
- How does the playful tone and slightly racy topic of the poem fit into the standard representation of Dickinson as a recluse and a bit of a stick-in-the-mud?