Life is full of uncertainty; that’s one thing of which we can be certain. Throughout the poem, Dickinson uses figurative language to explore how it feels to face something new and different, and how difficult it can be to find a way through the dark of the unknown. In the end, we make it through these difficulties by facing them, though it doesn’t exactly leave us unscathed.
Questions About Uncertainty
- How does Dickinson use figurative language to represent uncertainty?
- Does the speaker think there’s ever an easy cure for feeling unsure or nervous about the unknown?
- Do we all face uncertainty, or are some of us left in the dark? How does Dickinson characterize those that face the darkness?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Even when we face the darkness, we are still left a little bruised and battered.
We learn to face the unknown, just as our eyes learn to adjust to the darkness. But can we ever really see perfectly without some light?