They put me in the Closet —. That it is not he, the bird that cannot change his ways, but it is the persona that cannot. A lone bird that can be seen walking the streets of the city looking as lost as myself. They shut me up in Prose – Source: The Poems of Emily Dickinson Edited by R. W. Franklin (Harvard University Press, 1999) This suggest that the line "they shut me up in prose" could refer to other poets or teachers telling Emily to write in a certain way (or using a certain from). They shut me up in Prose – As when a little Girl They put me in the Closet – Because they liked me “still” – Still! However, the last stanza confuses me as I am unsure of what it means and why it seems to have an abrupt ending. “They shut me up in Prose– As when a little Girl They put me in the Closet – Because they liked me “still”” (1-4). In "They shut me up in Prose"., why do "they" put the little girl in the closet? It can just be an outcast, a lone bird who is away from its flock. It appears from the title that her poems and creativity were “shut up” and she was forced to only write in standard prose. Here the line breaks perhaps as a dramatic pause like in a play. “They shut me up in Prose—” was originally published in Dickinson’s 1935 collection Unpublished Poems. For Dickinson,the “self” … The word/phrase still connects the lines. The poem I have chosen to break down my confusion about is “They shut me up in Prose.” In this title alone we see an interesting use of capitalization and word choice. The speaker here describes a mysterious “They” as trying to limit her to writing in prose (“They shut me up in Prose –“). Buy Study Guide. Then she makes reference to a bird in a pound for treason. A freedom that is not so free because it cannot be shared. The ‘they’ is capitalized as the first word of a sentence normally is, but then the Prose is also capitalized. My comments follow. in "they shut me up in prose-", why do they put the little girl in your closet. This is not the poem of a … The only reason for connecting these three separate things would be to underscore the stupidity of the ‘they.’ Nobody would think that a bird would commit a crime, especially treason, and then to throw it in the pound is usually an idea synonymous with dogs. 'They shut me up in Prose--As when a little Girl. Our poem for December, Emily Dickinson’s “They shut me up in Prose,” dazzles us with its sheer pyrotechnic brilliance. Mary C. Galvin: On 613 ("They shut me up in Prose--") You are here: Home » Mary C. Galvin: On 613 ("They shut me up in Prose--") In this poem, Dickinson is clearly drawing an analogy between the socialization process of women and the strictures of "proper" language use, and is defiant toward both. I get a sense of sadness and also a sense of a confined freedom. Her spirit is broken and she laughs no more. I would venture to say that she never breaks free, and that the bird surpasses her in ways, and she stays locked in her Prose. I agree with Rachel on her saying that birds aren’t associated “with captivity.” However, the bird doesn’t have to be held captive. I think she feels that her parents believe that there is something wrong with her behaviorally, and the line “Could themself have peeped— and seen my Brain- go round-“ is her plea to them, trying to tell them that she is a good child and is undeserving of their punishments, which she compares to a pound. Emily Dickinson They shut me up in Prose 445 (613) Imagery In The Poem As you read through the poem make a note of any strong images that the words describe or convey. 2. The “They” can represent anyone who has pushed her away and held her back from expressing herself. The speaker was told as a little girl to confine herself in prose. Moving on, the first stanza seems simple, she illustrates the way she has been quieted by using the simile of a little girl. On “They shut me up in prose” My best friend has a deep abiding love for Emily Dickinson. Is there a place for being still in Dickinson's poems? The first line of the poem, which is used as the poem’s title, explicitly calls out the idea of restriction. As Steven wrote, “nobody would think that a bird would commit a crime, especially treason.” Dickinson seems to be comparing herself to this bird and saying that if you think about it, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with her writing poetry, and she shouldn’t feel shut up with prose. Maybe she’s not upset and I should stop analyzing poetry. They shut me up in Prose – As when a little Girl They put me in the Closet – Because they liked me … Use the criteria sheet to understand greatest poems or improve your poetry analysis essay. In the next stanza she is angered to be silenced. Forced to choose between opposites she believes are irreconcilable--freedom and acceptance, daring and love--the speaker voluntarily gives up power and restrains her flight. The bird represents freedom perhaps that the author feels she did not have because of the other. Quick fast explanatory summary. Her poems often highlight these viewpoints. Her poetic creativity always has been limited because of her teachers’ view of what she should be taught and involve herself with, as her teachers clearly lack an appreciation of creativity. I agree with the comments above that above that the “They” are her parents, greater society, and anybody who is “Other” to her (or perhaps, have “othered” her). Emily Dickinson’s “They shut me up in Prose” is a very short poem, but it conveys significant meaning in the context of restraint. Sparknotes bookrags the meaning summary overview critique of explanation pinkmonkey. Analysis of We Dream—it Is Good We Are Dreaming, Analysis of I Had No Time To Hate, Because, Analysis of Two Swimmers Wrestled On The Spar. In “They Shut Me Up in Prose,” Dickinson discusses how women are confined in society’s structured roles on women in the Victorian era. Personally, I see the “they” in this poem as the narrator’s teachers throughout her life, beginning from when she was “a little girl”. Some poems are full of vivid images that the mind can picture easily, whilst others are more opaque. About “They Shut Me Up in Prose” This line is attempting to explain that everyone has the will to decide whether or not to choose freedom even if they are physically held in captivity or bondage. Dickinson does so in three stanzas, with an inconsistent rhyme scheme. She compares this to when, as a child (“As when a little Girl”), she was put in the closet in an effort to keep her still and quiet (“They put me in the Closet -- / Because they liked me ‘still’ … Hahaha ), her teachers, “ friends ”, or bullies I feel is irrelevant a! Stressed which could be important could be important please log in is no rhyme with. 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