A narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis. "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" by Emily Dickinson 2022-12-12

A narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis Rating: 8,9/10 223 reviews

"A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" is a poem by Emily Dickinson that describes the speaker's encounter with a snake in the grass. The poem is composed of four stanzas, each containing four lines, and follows an ABAB rhyme scheme. In this essay, we will analyze each stanza in turn to better understand the poem's meaning and themes.

The first stanza introduces the speaker's encounter with the snake and describes its physical characteristics: "A narrow fellow in the grass / Occasionally rides - / You may have met him? - did you not / His notice sudden is." The speaker describes the snake as a "narrow fellow," suggesting its slender, elongated body, and notes that it "occasionally rides," implying that it moves through the grass in a sinuous or serpentine manner. The speaker also asks the reader if they have ever encountered the snake, implying that it is a common sight in the speaker's environment. The final line of the stanza, "His notice sudden is," suggests that the snake is stealthy and elusive, and that it is difficult to spot until it is very close.

The second stanza delves into the speaker's emotional response to the snake: "The grass divides as with a comb, / A spotted shaft is seen, / And then it closes at your feet / And opens further on." The speaker describes the way in which the grass "divides as with a comb" as the snake moves through it, creating a visible path. The "spotted shaft" likely refers to the snake's body, which is marked with distinctive patterns or markings. The final line of the stanza, "And then it closes at your feet / And opens further on," suggests that the snake is a fleeting presence, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. This line also creates a sense of unease or fear, as the speaker is aware of the snake's presence but cannot see where it has gone.

In the third stanza, the speaker reflects on the snake's significance and its place in the natural world: "He likes a boggy acre, / A floor too cool for corn. / Yet when a child, and barefoot, / I more than once, at morn, / Have passed, I thought, a whip-lash / Unbraiding in the sun - / When, stooping to secure it, / It wrinkled, and was gone." The speaker notes that the snake prefers damp, marshy areas, where the ground is too wet and cool for crops to grow. The speaker also recalls their own childhood experiences of encountering the snake and mistaking it for a whip-lash, only to have it slip away when they tried to touch it. This stanza further emphasizes the snake's elusiveness and its ability to blend in with its surroundings.

The final stanza returns to the theme of the snake's physical characteristics and its relationship to the speaker: "Several of nature's people / I know, and they know me; / I feel for them a transport / Of cordiality; / But never met this fellow, / Attended or alone, / Without a tighter breathing, / And zero at the bone." The speaker admits to having a close, almost familial relationship with "several of nature's people," but notes that the snake is an exception. The speaker's encounter with the snake always leaves them feeling anxious and tense, and they describe their reaction as "a tighter breathing" and a feeling of "zero at the bone," suggesting a deep, guttural fear.

Overall, "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" is a poem about the speaker's encounter with a snake and the complex emotions it evokes. The snake is described as

A narrow Fellow in the Grass Stanzas 1

a narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis

The speaker of the poem is Dickinson herself and the poem is written from first person point of view. Either way, be careful not to state that Dickinson herself is providing the account of the story. He is revealing the comfortably respectful relationship he has with these animals. He has distinguished his perception of the snake from other animals, showing the fear it elicits in him. He also details the cool, "boggy" floor that the snake is drawn to. Emily Dickinson once again shows the common fear associated with the confrontation of a snake.


Next

A narrow Fellow in the Grass Stanza 1

a narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis

From the way, Dickson describes the narrow fellow in the first line if the first stanza it is not easy for the reader to know who the narrow fellow is. For instance, the author flashbacks into his childhood memory when he believed the snake was a Whip Lash, He bent to pick, but the snake wrinkled and disappeared line 13. It starts with a skinny man that travels through the Grass. The address to the reader works in tandem with this approach, making the animal's identity into a kind of guessing game. However Dickinson narrows the pattern from then on to lines of six and seven syllables.

Next

"A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" by Emily Dickinson

a narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis

The last date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. From her description, she says that the narrow fellow takes most of the time lying on the grass, but he rides occasionally. However, there are other interpretations such as the reference to sex because of the absence of clear mentioning. As with many of Dickinson's poems, " The first line of the poem "A narrow Fellow in the Grass" creates a solid image of the snake without giving it a proper name. However, when the speaker focused on taking it he says that it crumpled and it was gone was about to grasp it.

Next

📚 Psychological Analysis of "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" and "O to Be A Dragon"

a narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis

After being born on May 6, 1914, in Nashville Tennessee, Jarrell and his parents moved to Los Angeles where his dad worked as a photographer. However, despite all these intimidations, Emily Dickinson and Marianne Moore were able to raise their heads and challenged the intimidations that the females were going through putting their pens on the papers and wrote great messages that were awaiting the right time to be unraveled. Critical Essays on Emily Dickinson. In the 1960s and 70s, the second wave of feminism began, with such leaders as Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan and U. He then contrasts his feelings about snakes with his feelings about other animals, saying he does not feel the same level of comfort with them. This shows that some words are hidden in the poem but then, they mean different things and for a reader to understand them entirely them one has to analyze them psychologically. Produced by the Louisville Orchestra, 1971.

Next

Dickinson: A Narrow Fellow in the Grass

a narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis

Do they make little bikes for snakes? Dickinson engages the reader by sharing her recollection of childhood encounters with snakes. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem. She likens the making of money by publishing and selling her poems with fornicating her soul. The speaker recalls stooping to see as a young a man. Today: The divisions between high-brow and low-brow literature are still very much with us.

Next

Analysis Of Emily Dickensons Poem: A Narrow Fellow in the Grass

a narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis

Emily and Marianne through their poems they provide a very good example of how a psychological analysis can make, a reader to understand the message of the author. The publishing world was booming during the nineteenth century, with an increase in both literacy and printed material. The second date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. Cite this page as follows: "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass - Bibliography and Further Reading" Poetry for Students Vol. A Narrow Fellow in the Grass — Stanza III The snake likes the marshy areas where the land is damp and the floor is cool to settle down; such areas where one cannot grow corn. This comparison is the first introduction to any form of threat from the snake being expressed in the poem.

Next

A narrow Fellow in the Grass 4

a narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis

The 2 pages, 734 words Emily Dickinson is an outstanding poet; she had seven poems published while she was living and many more after her death. That, folks, is called Lines 3-4 You may have met him? The second stanza serves more clues and draws us to the answer. In the third quatrain, the poet suddenly becomes introspective. The reader is then involved more viscerally as the speaker shows the snake's progress, brushing past "your Feet" as the grass "opens further on. On the contrary, Dickinson was an active reader, followed current events and was very much aware of the world around her. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. No full explanation is given for the snake's capacity to disappear, and his true form has never actually been perceived by the speaker.

Next

A Narrow Fellow in the Grass Analysis

a narrow fellow in the grass stanza analysis

Introduction Emily assumes the position of a male speaker in this poem. He recounts his sighting of the snake and subsequent attempts to grab it, only to find that it had eluded him. He finishes by saying that the snake slithers away after circling in your reader's feet. He goes on to say that he has never encountered a snake that did not make him feel a certain degree of unease. GradeSaver, 2 March 2022 Web. The last date is today's date — the date you are citing the material.

Next