Dashing Out at Night
We grow accustomed – to the dashes – in Dickinson’s poems – but what do they – mean?
Consider the way the dashes make you pause when you read; they could perhaps be a way to slow the reader down and make them savor the words. Critics have considered the dashes to be anything from a weird tic to an odd obsession to an indication of a mental breakdown. Whatever the reason behind her use of dashes, they certainly serve as a calling card for the highly original poet. Check out “Because I Could Not Stop For Death" for another example of her trademark style.
In addition to her liberal use of dashes, Dickinson liked to sprinkle the night into many of her poems. Just check out “Wild Nights! Wilds Nights!” or “When Night is Almost Done”. Was she just a big fan of pulling all-nighters? Maybe, but whether it’s the setting for love, fear, or uncertainty, it almost always passes into day. We’re betting she liked to use night as a metaphor for anything that must be endured.