Close Reading of Emily Dickinson’s “Tell all the truth but tell it slant”

Emily Dickinson’s poem “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” provides important insights into how the form of a text can support the construction of, and even highlight its meaning.  In this short poem, Dickinson is able to weave together many linguistic devices that complement each other perfectly and make the poem flow very easily.  Precisely, it is this apparent easiness in the text that tricks us into what seems a very logical and simple conclusion.  However, once we read the text carefully, peeling and analyzing its different layers, we are able to look at this poem in a new light.

     Given that this essay’s main argument is built around the form of the text, a scansion of four of its lines will provide an insight into the lyrical structure chosen by Dickinson.

Tĕll áll / thĕ trúth / bŭt téll / ĭt slánt /

Sŭccéss / ĭn Cír / cŭit líes /

Tŏo bríght / fŏr óur / ĭnfírm / Dĕlíght /

Thĕ Trúth's / sŭpérb / sŭrpríse /

     Each foot of the poem contains one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. We find four iambic feet (tetrameter) in the first line, three iambic feet (trimeter) in the second line, four iambic in the third, and three iambic in the fourth.  The structure just described is known as ‘Common Meter’ or ‘Hymn Meter’, which is defined as “a closed poetic quatrain, rhyming A B A B, in which iambic tetrameter alternate with iambic trimeter.” (Washington State University) 

     Dickinson’s use of common meter provides the first clue of how the text’s meaning is brilliantly disguised in this poem.  The text is structured in a fairly simple manner, making it “easy” for the ordinary mind to take in the words.  However, there is nothing simple or easy about this poem.  One must go beyond the outer layer to uncover all the truth.    

    Other important qualities of this poem’s form are provided by its many linguistic elements.  I will concentrate on the ones which are the most relevant to my argument.  Beginning with the use of metaphor, Dickinson compares truth to a bright light.  This comparison is important as it leads us to the contrast between light and darkness.  A mind that does not confront the truth and is closed to new ideas remains in darkness, hence, in ignorance.  Dickinson’s choice of using the figure of lightning as visual imagery in the poem complements the metaphor.  The associations conveyed by this word fit in perfectly with the binary opposition of light and darkness.  

     Additionally, we find the use of simile in lines three to six (Too bright for our infirm Delight / The Truth's superb surprise / As Lightning to the Children eased / With explanation kind) Dickinson explains the shock of being confronted with a surprising truth as something too bright for us to comprehend just like the phenomena of lightning is for children.  We also find the use of alliteration to highlight words that support the poem’s central theme such as tell – truth as well as slant - success - circuit. 

     Furthermore, Dickinson’s use of the term slant brings insight into how the structure and the theme of her poem are intertwined. According to the Emily Dickinson Museum, “rhyme that is not perfect is called ‘slant rhyme’ or ‘approximate rhyme.’” When looking at the text’s unconventional use of rhyme, it becomes clear how the word ‘slant’ serves the disguised purpose of calling attention to the poem’s structure in itself.

     Moving on to the central paradox of the poem, it lies in the apparent contradiction between telling all the truth and getting to it through an indirect or diluted approach.  Some people will argue that the truth must be told bluntly, without circumventing, so that it is pure and free of biases.  The text’s literal layer, however, seems to support the idea of telling the truth more effectively by approaching it gradually and carefully so as to not overwhelm the recipient.

     However, we must go deeper into the layers to find all the truth in this text.  A careful reading of the second line, “Success in Circuit lies,” brings attention to the word lies.  We are now confronted with a binary opposition: the truth versus lies.  Furthermore, this line seems to suggest that lies equal success.  All of a sudden, what we thought was the true meaning of the poem starts crumbling and the brightness of the actual truth threatens to blind us.     

   This discovery is “too bright for our infirm Delight.”  We would be so much happier by having found the meaning of the poem easily, in the outer layer of the text, while naively thinking with satisfaction that the great Emily Dickinson was an advocate for telling the whole truth.  We prefer infirm delight over a solid truth that challenges our minds. We favor a nice little story that gives us peace of mind over the actual truth because it threatens to destroy the basis of our beliefs and then – how do we go from there?

     We have uncovered, therefore, how Dickinson plays with the reader through a text woven with very fine and subtle stitches of satire.   By peeling carefully some of the layers, we realize how she is comparing the common mind to that of a child who chooses to live in an illusion rather than being confronted with ugly truths about the world. Someone who does not dig or question the layers of society, gender norms, tradition, etc., will probably find it easier to navigate the world, have successful relations and achieve, therefore, success in life.

     Dickinson’s genius shines in this poem where the playful and witty use of language with multiple meanings and her subtle irony are brilliantly disguised by rather conventional uses of meter and linguistic elements.  This poem about truth contains a truth in itself and it is up to the reader to confront the brightness of the lightning and not be blinded by its surprising revelation.   

               

References

Emily Dickinson, "Tell all the truth but tell it slant" from The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Reading Edition, ed by Ralph W. Franklin. (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1998) 

Emily Dickinson Museum, https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/poetry_characteristics

Washington State University, http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/common.html

Dear Anne Frank-Poems by Marjorie Agosin: Bad writing, bad translation, bad editing... I am not sure what happened here.

When I found a reference to this book in an article abut Hispanic writers who live in the US and write in Spanish, I was thrilled. I love any type of literature inspired by Anne Frank and thought, "I need to have this book!"

Fast forward two days, I happily received the package from Amazon. That night, I embarked in yet another reading journey with high expectations. Expectations fail, what a disappointment!

I would really like to know who was in charge of editing the Spanish texts of this work. Brandeis University Press, shame on you!

Evidently this work was just meant for Anglo readers. I have not found one review in Spanish. Of course, the ones who just read the English version of the poems, rave about Agosín's work. Now, I won't even go into the quality of the poetry in itself (I really don't think it is the best I have read but I am not an expert so let's just leave it at that) but I am a Spanish instructor and English - Spanish translator, Spanish is my native language and this book insults me both personally and professionally.

What I find mesmerizing (well, more so than the rest of the issues with this publication) is that from what I understand, the pieces were originally written in Spanish. So, I would think the most logical turnout would be for there to be errors in translation in the English version of the poems. But that is not the case. The English version of the texts look fine to me. But the Spanish... what a disaster!

So, what happened here? I would love for someone to explain to me how this book was published with horrible mistakes in its original version. This is a serious case of "vergüenza ajena" as we say in Spanish.

You can see how the above photos support my comments. They were taken from two of the first poems I encountered in this travesty. 

On the first one, you can see how instead of the word "espesas" for "thick" (the author is referring to Anne's eyebrows) they have used the word "esposas" which makes no sense at all in this context. 

On the second photo you can see how there's a switch in the form of address of the "YOU". It starts with "Usted", then goes to "Ustedes", and then, horror of horrors you can find this brilliant sentence: "¿Alguien de USTEDES HAS visto...? Ustedes HAS visto? This is a mistake a first year student of one of my Spanish courses would make.

I found a lot of more mistakes in the use of the Spanish language and I did not even get through half of this book. I don't think I will be able to because it hurts my eyes and my heart. Shame, shame, shame. ¡Qué vergüenza!

El Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead

El Día de los Muertos from Dorothy 76

1. El Día de los Muertos 
2. 
   
3.  “To the resident of New York, Paris, or London, the word “death” is never pronounced because it burns the lips. Mexicans, on the other hand, frequent it, caress it. They sleep with it. They celebrate it. It is one of their favorite games and their most permanent love.” –Octavio Paz, autor mexicano

Given that we are close to the holiday known as Day of the Dead, I wanted to share this video that can work for a Spanish class as well as one on cultural topics.

It integrates vocabulary and grammar (SER and ESTAR)

I hope you find this resource useful! 

http://www.slideshare.net/dorothy76/el-da-de-los-muertos-54458332

Decoding new meanings – Language Experiment in Paris France

      Coming into contact for the first time with Gertrude Stein’s work will likely leave the inattentive reader feeling confused and disoriented.  The experience is that of being transported into an alternate reality where the world is recognizable but where things work somehow differently.  The inability to figure out the dynamics of this new reality and failure to decode the seemingly queer elements will doom the reader to wonder aimlessly unable to connect with this new location.   

     One of the elements that contribute to the complex literary style present in Stein’s work is the decontextualization of words.  Stein experiments with words by taking them out of familiar settings and placing them within new associations.  As a result of this experiment, words are reclaimed and infused with new meanings.  This process is actually reminiscent of semiotics, the study of language as signs, pioneered by Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure.  For Saussure, language is an arbitrary system composed of a series of signs. These signs are in turn the result of the association between the signifier, which is the form of the sign; and the signified, the concept it represents. (Saussure 67) For Saussure, both the signifier and the signified are purely 'psychological' (14 -15, 66) and therefore, the meaning they convey cannot be tied to an absolute truth or reality.

     This frame of thought is helpful when trying to make sense of the project behind the peculiar writing style of Paris France. This reference does not imply, however, that Stein’s inspiration was originated in semiotics or even in linguistics for that matter. Stein was quite the language revolutionary by her own merit. In her plethora of lectures, the American writer shows a sweeping contempt for grammar conventions.  For example, her feeling about commas was that, “at the most a comma is a poor period that lets you stop and take a breath but if you want to take a breath you ought to know yourself that you want to take a breath." (Poetry and Grammar 221) This contempt is perhaps, more beautifully stated, in the following excerpt:

            “...capital letters and quotations marks are useless. They are hangovers from the days when people didn't read very well, that all goes into the question of life and death of punctuation marks, if you don't know a question without a question mark what is the use of writing the question? ...the average reading mind does not need them. (Watts 94)

                                                          

     Relocating this discussion to the realm of Paris France, I would like to bring attention to a quote from this text that might shine some lightning into Stein’s inquisitive approach towards language.  The quote is in a passage that refers to the English studies of French girls and how they choose Hamlet for their translation assignments.  The narrator speculates that the reason behind this choice is that a great number of archaic English words found in said text are “completely French words” (74-75) and follows with the insight that: “I have often thought a lot about the words that make the English language, and much as I have thought about it, a war makes it even more definite, as in this Hamlet.” (75) 

     I consider this quote to be an acknowledgment on Stein’s part of her profound interest in the way words work within a language system.  She also seems to be implying that no matter how much she or anyone thinks about the meaning of words, random events such as a war or other historical factors end up creating or transferring terms across languages in arbitrary and sometimes even spontaneous occurrences. The anecdote of the French girls illustrates that the arbitrary nature is not only inherent to the form of the sign but also of the concept it represents.  For the French girls, a set of archaic words has great significance in their study of the English language while those same signs seem to be completely irrelevant to others given the fact that these are terms that, “the English language to-day no longer uses.” (75)  

     Both the fluidity and randomness of the signified provide Stein with a sort of elastic clay that can be manipulated, shaped, deconstructed, and reconstructed to give form to her language project.  Sara J. Ford explains that Stein juxtaposes words in a way that removes them from their usual context or order and places them within new relationships and associations. (50)  Linda Wagner-Martin complements this idea and points out that Stein “[lets] language find its own patterns, to express whatever meaning the reader might favor, viewing written art as a system of true and mutable communication.” (Oxford University Press) This fluidity of patterns allows Stein to experiment with words, peeling off ordinary and stale meanings to infuse them with new and more interesting ones. 

Note: This is an extract of a paper that I wrote for a class called The 20th Century International Novel. If you are interested in acquiring this essay, you can contact me at   www.adamslanguagesolutions.com

References

     Ford, Sara J. Gertrude Stein and Wallace Stevens: The Performance of Modern Consciousness. Routledge, 2011.

     New World Encyclopedia. “Art for art's sake.” http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org

     Oxford Dictionaries. “Fashion.” http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

     Saussure, Ferdinand de. Course in General Linguistics (trans. Roy Harris) London: Duckworth, ([1916] 1983)

     Stein, Gertrude. Paris France. Liveright, 1996.

     Stein, Gertrude. “Poetry and Grammar,” in Lectures in America. New York: Random House, 1935. 

     Wagner-Martin, Linda.  “Stein's Life and Career” from The Oxford Companion to Women's Writing in the United States. Oxford University Press, 1995.

     Watts, Linda S. Gertrude Stein: a study of the short fiction. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1999. http://www.english.illinois.edu 

Journal Review: Teaching Language Skills and Cultural Awareness with Spanish Paintings

Ortuño, Marian Mikaylo. “Teaching Language Skills and Cultural Awareness with Spanish Paintings” Hispania 77, No. 3 (Sep., 1994), 500-511.

Abstract: This article points out the advantages of using slides or other reproductions of Spanish paintings in the promotion of language learning and cultural awareness. It also gives suggestions on how to incorporate some paintings into the curriculum at various levels.

The article begins with the question of “How does the instructor create the optimal learning environment in which to develop the four skills - comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing- along with an awareness of cross-cultural similarities and differences?” With the proficiency orientation that the ACFTL has promoted, this becomes a matter for all instructors to ponder about. Ortuño suggests the possibility of using visually engaging authentic materials, which have been shown by some studies as facilitators of language acquisition and the formation of cultural attitudes. She proposes the incorporation of art works into the curriculum in one of the following ways: As a cultural supplement at any level of instruction, in a cross-disciplinary course, or to prepare students for study abroad. In the following subheadings the author shows us the benefits of using Spanish paintings in order to help students achieve proficiency standards.

Learning in Context

Making a reference to Krashen’s theory, Ortuño writes that using slides of Spanish paintings can encourage students to engage in creative discourse if the instructor focuses on meaning as well as on grammatical form. Visual sensory stimuli embedded with cultural connections have the power to convey emotions. They attract the student’s attention and can cause an affective reaction. It could be shock, surprise, disapproval, or even laughter. The instructor then can begin to personalize the learning experience by asking for descriptions or by giving questions to draw a verbal or written response. It is the author’s experience that even the most inhibited students are able to risk grammar mistakes to comment on colorful visual symbols.

According to Ortuño, the Magdalena Penitente of medieval Greek painter, El Greco, could be used at any level of language learning. The basic questions for this image would be: “¿Qué ve usted?” and “Diga algo sobre esta pintura.” The questions can be answered by individuals, pairs or groups working together to analyze the picture and come up with a list of adjectives that describe it. The teacher can also offer clues about the identity of the person depicted on the painting. Questions about when, where, and why can follow, and the level of the group will determine the types of responses that the teacher has to encourage. Before the students look at the slide, the instructor can provide background information on El Greco and point out the historical importance of the lives of the saints as models of behavior in sixteenth century Spain.

At the novice and intermediate levels, a painting such as the above can be used as a focal point for an entire lesson. Colors, clothing, parts of the body, and the agreement in number and gender can all be practiced by describing the visual. To practice the present progressive, for example, students can ask one another: “¿Qué está haciendo María Magdalena?” Students at all levels can be encouraged to compare and contrast different slides. Learners at the advanced level can develop analytical thinking skills and writing techniques by creating a composition on how the use of color establishes a different mood in each painting.

Due to the focus on oral skills, instructors tend to overlook the socio-cultural factors of language. Using paintings as a visual aid can help incorporate culture in the language learning experience and make it both enjoyable and intellectually profitable. On the Connection aspect of the Standards for Foreign Language Learning, Standard 3.1 states that: “students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language” (Omaggio, p.37). Ortuño’s proposal seems to adapt to this standard perfectly as paintings are well suited to the teaching of history, literature, and art itself along with language and culture. Viewing slides of paintings can provide students with a global context, on which the society and institutions of a culture are reflected as they respond to social, religious, and political forces.

Transition from Language to Literature Class

One of my classmates who got her Spanish major at ETSU, told me how overwhelming it can be to switch from the basic language courses, grammar, and conversation, straight into the literature part of the curriculum. Ortuño explains that students can feel at a loss during the period of transition because they lack the historical background, the confidence, language skills, and sometimes even the interest in literature required to understand the essays, short stories, and poetry which comprise this part of language learning. By providing historical background through Spanish paintings, instructors can help bridge the gap between language and literature classes. Through the showing of selected slides, the instructor can relate a literary work to a particular period in Spanish history by providing a cross-disciplinary introduction. By emphasizing the confluence of the visual arts, history, and literature, the instructor can help students identify and understand parallel trends.

Ortuño suggests that the religious fervor of sixteenth-century Spain captured by El Greco in his paintings of saints and biblical characters, can be related to the intensity of the mystical experience described by Santa Teresa de Jesús in Camino de Perfección. Goya’s social criticism, or Picasso’s reflections on the dissonance and fragmentation of twentieth-century life though cubism provide many possibilities for the development of linguistic skills and cultural awareness.

Lowering Classroom Anxiety

According to the author of this article, viewing art can alleviate anxiety in language learning. As stated by Krashen’s affective-filter hypothesis, “comprehensible input can have its effect on acquisition only when affective conditions are optimal” (Omaggio, p.62). By not eliciting a defensive position, concentration on visual images helps heighten sociability and encourages the sharing of information. Ortuño asks the reader to consider the benefits of a darkened classroom where attention remains on the image instead of the speaker. This will lead to less inhibition on the part of students as there are less chances of embarrassment. Another suggestion for creating a safe environment in which everyone feels comfortable to participate is for the teacher to allow students to direct the question session around a picture of their choice.

Meeting Oral Proficiency Standards

Ortuño states that as a complement to any language learning approach, slides of paintings can help students achieve proficiency. To prove her point, she uses as an example Murillo’s painting Una joven con su dueña, claiming that a picture like this offers many possibilities to practice proficiency within the novice to the superior level. At the Novice level students can repeat basic vocabulary items dealing with what is seen and what can be implied. At the intermediate level students may answer questions such as “¿Dónde está esta chica?, ¿Qué está haciendo?, and ¿Quién es la otra mujer?” At the Advanced level, students can make comparisons between the two women. At the Superior level, learners can work with abstract topics such as parental love or the concept of friendship. Further discussion could lead to culturally relevant topics such as the historical role of the dueña, the attitude toward women in the past and in present-day Spanish society, among others.

Conclusions

Ortuño mentions that it is important for the instructor to select the paintings so that they have a thematic connection to a lesson or they are suited for practicing certain linguistic functions. I think this consideration is crucial to enable students to get the benefits highlighted by the author throughout the article. The instructor should not improvise and just “Google” a random image without carefully researching those paintings that can provide support to a specific topic or function.

I think that the fact that Spanish paintings offer a cultural context and the opportunity to analyze historical facts, make them an excellent tool to be used to enhance the learning process. Unless it is an Art course, I am not sure if I would use the paintings as a focal point, but definitely as supplemental material at any level in the university setting. At the school level, it is my impression that teachers would need to be very selective of the material to be shown since children and adolescents do not necessarily have the judgment capacity required to understand and appreciate certain pieces of art.

After reading about the language learning benefits explained by the author of this article, I will strongly consider incorporating paintings in my classes so that I can provide a basis for proficiency-centered lessons which facilitate the learning of grammar and vocabulary, and the development of oral skills, written skills, analytical thinking, and cultural awareness. I think I would also like to show students paintings from other Hispanic countries so that besides learning about those specific places, they can compare and contrast the cultural and historical factors of the different regions and countries in the Hispanic world.

References

Omaggio, Alice. (2000). Teaching Language in Context. 3^rd Ed. Thomson Heile.

Ortuño, Marian Mikaylo. (1994). Teaching language skills and cultural awareness with Spanish paintings. Hispania, Vol. 77, No. 3, 500-511.

Teaching Language Skills and Cultural Awareness with Spanish Paintings

This is a PPT presentation I prepared for a journal review assignment. The scholarly article I chose, points out the advantages of using reproductions of Spanish paintings from the sixteenth to twentieth centuries in the promotion of language learning and cultural awareness. I think it is something we can explore for implementation in the Spanish classroom.

Teaching language and culture with Spanish paintings

View more presentations from Dorothy 76

El manejo del tiempo en la clase

Saben que es lo mejor de ser estudiante? Poder detectar errores en el manejo de la clase y comprometerme a NUNCA cometerlos yo misma.

Hoy tuve una clase que pudo haber sido muy interesante. Se suponía que ibamos a tener un debate sobre la controversia de la autobiografía de Rigoberta Menchú. No sé por qué a la profesora se le ocurrió que antes del debate cada estudiante debía resumir tres capítulos. Cuál era el propósito de esto? De todas maneras teníamos que leer el libro para prepararnos para el debate. En fin, el punto era resumir, entonces si cada uno lo hacía por unos minutos no se perdía mucho tiempo.

Pues les cuento el resultado de no ser capaz de manejar el tiempo de la clase. Hubo personas que hablaron por media hora, volviendo a contar la historia que ya se nos había relatado en el libro. Todo el tiempo tenía ganas de gritar y preguntarles: No saben lo que es un resumen? Por favor! Hubo una estudiante que se dedicó a hablar de unos detalles gráficos que una película de terror gore le quedaba corta. Terrible!

Conclusión, que yo era la sexta persona que debía presentar y nunca lo pude hacer y el debate... bien gracias, no hubo tiempo. Claro, seguimos en la próxima clase, pero como también debemos cubrir el material de ese día, pues ya se imaginan la calidad del debate.

Todo por no saber manejar el tiempo. Para un educador esa debería ser una habilidad básica. Créanme, hablando desde la perspectiva de una estudiante que quería tener una clase interesante, pues al final me sentí frustrada y decepcionada. No me quedan ganas de prepararme adecuadamente para la siguiente clase.

En fin, seguimos en la lucha...