Question

What is the effect of Dickinson's use of common meter in her poetry?

• A. It makes her poems inaccessible to the average reader.
• B. It aligns her work with classical poetic traditions.
• C. It creates a familiar, hymn-like quality that contrasts with her unconventional themes.
• D. It distinguishes her work from contemporary poetic styles.

Answer 1

Answer:

C. It creates a familiar, hymn-like quality that contrasts with her unconventional themes.

Dickinson frequently employed common meter, a hymn-like structure, which gives her poems a familiar, accessible rhythm. This contrasts with the often unconventional and profound themes she explored, creating tension between form and content. The use of common meter in Dickinson's poems adds an unexpected depth to her writing, as she subverts the expectations of religious verse.