Review the two files I have placed in the “Lessons & Assignments” area under “Lesson 6: Emily Dickinson.” One file contains a collection of her poems and some interesting background materials. The other file is a power point introduction to Dickinson.

Then answer the following five questions about Emily Dickinson’s poems in about a paragraph (or two) for each. (The assignment is due at the usual time on Saturday night.  Do not forget to post peer replies the following week for extra points.) 

1. In “The Brain Is Wider Than the Sky,” what are the three things to which the speaker compares the brain?  In what sense are these comparisons accurate?
2. In “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” the speaker tracks a journey of sorts.  Who is taking the journey and where is the traveler going?  What do the various stages of the journey represent?
3. In “Tell All the Truth But Tell It Slant,” what does the word “slant” mean?  (Try to paraphrase this title.)   Why does the speaker advise this?
4. Exactly what do you think happens in “I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died”?  What do you think the fly’s appearance means or represents?
5. In “Faith Is a Fine Invention,” two important human ideas or activities are contrasted.  What are they?  Which does the poem’s speaker seem to favor?  Why?

PLEASE NOTE: TO DO JUSTICE TO EACH POEM, YOU MAY NEED TO WRITE A TOTAL OF MORE THAN THE USUAL 500-WORDS REQUIRED FOR THESE CRITIQUE ASSIGNMENTS.  ALSO, DO NOT FORGET THE PEER REPLIES FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT DUE THE FOLLOWING WEEK, FOLLOWING THE USUAL SCHEDULE AND PROCEDURE.