Heart! We Will Forget him!
Emily Dickinson
Heart, we will forget him!
You and I, to-night!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.
When you have done, pray tell me,
That I my thoughts may dim;
Haste! lest while you’re lagging,
I may remember him!
Making Meanings
Poems by Emily Dickinson
Heart! We will forget him!
1. Whom do you identify with in this poem—the head or the heart? Why?
2. Why do you think the heart is asked to take the lead in this situation?
3. What do you think the speaker means by “warmth” and “light”? If you were
trying to forget someone, which would you try to forget first?
4. Exclamation points punctuate this little poem, as if the speaker were saying,
“Hurry up! We must get this over with!” Why do you suppose the speaker is in
such a hurry?
5. Read the feature on slant rhyme in Elements of Literature. Then, describe the
rhyme scheme of the poem, noting the instance of slant rhyme. What is the
function of the end rhymes?
6. Some would say this poem is ironic to the core: The speaker doesn’t really
expect to—doesn’t want to—forget the man. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Choices
1. Collecting Ideas for a Comparison/Contrast Essay
One interesting topic for a comparison/contrast essay would be an examination of how one of Emily Dickinson's poems compares with a poem by an earlier poet - perhaps "Huswifery" by Taylor, "Upon the Burning of Our House" by Gradstreet, or "Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant. Take notes on how one of these poems compares with one of Dickinson's poems.
2. Echoes of Dickinson
Write a poem that treats one of the themes that engaged Emily Dickinson: love and loss, the spiritual life, death and immortality, nature, or the power of the imagination. You might even use one of Dickinson's lines as your opener. Experiment with metaphors, similes, and slant rhymes. Try out Dickinson's style of punctuation and capitalization, or invent your own unique style.
3. Hymn to Her
Dickinson let the strict meters she found in her hymnbook provide the basic beat for her poems, but the variations she introduced gave her poems subtlety and prevented monotony. In a brief essay, analyze at least two of her poems to show how she uses this traditional hymn meter:
8 syllables in line 1
8 syllables in line 3
6 syllables in line 2
6 syllables in line 4
Then show how she also uses a short hymn meter of 6, 6, 8, and 6 syllables. To see how closely some of the poems conform to a hymn meter, you might try singing "If you were coming to the Fall" to the tune of "O God, Our Help in Ages Past."
4. Dickinson Onstage
Prepare a script for a performance called "An Evening with Emily Dickinson." In the script, let Dickinson tell about her life, her views of poetry and language ,and her feelings about nature, faith, and eternity. Include in your performance readings of selected poems.
5. Book of Poems
Dickinson sewed the final copies of her poems into the form of small booklets. To make your own small book, fold four pages of white paper in half. Then, gather them at the fold, which will give you sixteen pages. Select poems you would like to reproduce - either your own, or some favorite poems by Dickinson or by other poems. On the first page, design a book cover including a title. Then, copy one poem onto each the remaining pages. Try to match your penmanship or calligraphy with the feelings conveyed in the poems. Finally, sew your book along the fold.