Dickinson’s Circumferential Reading of the Bible: The Authority of Poetic Language over the Bible

Abstract

Emily Dickinson is strongly influenced by biblical tradition because her paternal ancestors are closely related to Puritan past. Yet when, during the Great Awakening, most members of her family undergo public conversions, she holds out without surrendering herself. She aligns herself with the new 19th century sermon style and launches a silent rebellion against the doctrinal tradition of Calvinistic preaching. Her works are saturated with various allusions to or quotations of the Bible. It is worthwhile to examine how Dickinson’s attitude toward religion is represented in her reading of the Bible. Her biblical allusions are deeply connected with the creation of her poetic world. More often than not, Dickinson appropriates the Bible for her own purpose. Dickinson, not only as poet, but also as woman, reads the Bible and feels free to mock, criticize, rewrite for her own purposes. Her voice is not subordinate to the sacred text, but her poetry has democratic comradeship with the Bible. Dickinson's emphasis on the power of a spoken word is explicitly expressed when she indicates that word just begins to live when it is said. While modeling her poetry after God’s word, the poet becomes confident that the power of her poetry is equal to that of God’s word. Therefore, Dickinson’s handling of biblical material can be strategically seen in terms of demonstrating her poetic power. In other words, she treats subtly yet brilliantly biblical material to assert her poetic voice and identity to the public. What is remarkable is that her desire for creative power is unceasingly consistent from her early period to the end of her life.