​Khasawneh 1

Sheerin Khasawneh

Ms. Mann

AP Literature & Composition—Block 3

28 November 2015

Explication of “They shut me up in Prose” by Emily Dickinson

Text:

They shut me up in Prose –

As when a little Girl
They put me in the Closet –
Because they liked me “still” –

Still! Could themself have peeped –

And seen my Brain – go round –
They might as wise have lodged a Bird
For Treason – in the Pound –

Himself has but to will

And easy as a Star
Look down upon Captivity –
And laugh – No more have I –

Claims: Support and Discussion:

Speaker​: The speaker is a
first person voice- the author.
The ​audience​ is towards
women who have been
silenced. The ​occasion​ is a
girl, a bird, and an audience
of people-mainly men- who
try and disenfranchise the
girls worth.
Paraphrase​:​ Dickinson
writes about her experience
dealing with-assumably-
ignorant or non educated
men that want to silence her
either with her first
experience sharing a poem or
something else, and she
responds with frustration and
The author writes from her perspective by starting off with
“They shut me” and she wants her gender to be clear by referring
to her past “As when a little Girl”. She introduces multiple
thoughts by mentioning “Himself” which means there is a
background story to the poem.
She is expected to write about more male dominated poems or
refer more to the way society should expect her to discuss which
would not include herself since she is a woman.
The men are not mentioned directly in the poem but it can be
assumed that the cynical response she has to the title is because
men are meant to uphold such a hierarchy and yet they have the
privilege to not undergo such expectations.​ They might believe
excessive formal speaking is not worth their time on a girl, so
they might as well speak in prose- also known as the normal
fluent language. No one is expected to speak in rhymes but
Dickenson feels that it is humorous that the people who are
silencing her would not know that she can write poetry in a
 Khasawneh 2

critical hysteria. She feels she metical structure which means she has an advanced speech. She
has won because the men are expects people who want to put her in her place to at least get to
not aware of her talents. even her level of speech first. She compares her imprisonment to a
though the men believe they caged bird’s ability to free himself- “as easy as a Star”-when he
defeated her, she knows they wants to and the intelligence they both share makes her laugh.
can’t silence her mind. She feel that no one can silence her even as a little girl.
Form​:​ The poem consists of There are multiple dashes after some lines but not most- known
12 lines and 3 stanzas. A free as end-stop lines. This is most likely trying to give the same
verse. abrupt effect that the literal “shut[ting] up” title gave the little
girl. The thoughts are not meant to be finished.
Many words are capitalized to make objects/animals sound less
like a place or thing and more like a person such as the “Bird”
and “Closet” and “Pound”.
Diction/Imagery/Metaphor​: As much as there is diction- referring to herself in the story with
The Bird, the Closet, and the “I” and quoting “‘still’”, there is more evidence regarding
Pound​ ​all represent​ ​the sense metaphors. She was said to be “put into a Closet” and the word
of confinement and a way of closet is capitalized for the purpose that a word is not just a
fitting into society's norms in regular noun-person, place, or thing- but almost a proper noun
which in this case is for referring to everything as an important title. The bird is
women to not be heard. capitalized to represent almost a human name as the little girl
relates to him regarding their abilities to be free even when held
captive. The “Pound” and the “Closet” exemplify areas where
there is full order and control for those who wouldn't confirm ran
by people who have a limited mind set and decide limited areas
will resolve issues such as different thinking.

Ambiguity:​ ​Dickenson does
not mention what they
silenced the little girl for or
who specifically is silencing
her.
Tone​:​ Dickenson is using a
cynical tone regarding a
serious issue. A tone shift is
seen.
Men have been assumed to silence the little girl for men have the
historical reputation of sexism towards women and the control
they have over everyone in society. Due to the society
undertones of the poem- as seen in the first stanza- the little girl
could simply be silenced for being a girl in the 1800’s and her
expectations to be ladylike, submissive, and serious.​ However,
due to Dickenson’s private life consumed in her bedroom writing
poetry during a time when women weren't allowed to, she is
most likely referring to her poetry being silenced.
Dickinson is describing her story with multiple emotions
involved because of the seriousness and sesim the title opens the
poem by. She uses sarcasm and quotations around the world
“‘still’” to emphasize that the men did not silence her because
her mind is loud with critical thoughts. There is a tone shift
describing “Himself”-the bird- in the third stanza. The shift is
still from the Dickinson but she doesn't mention “I” until the last
line in which she laughs. She gives a sense of entitlement to
herself and high self-esteem from the frustrating situation of
being silenced.
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Title:​ This title is neither The poem’s title is meant to mock a formal ideology that men
figurative or literal. uphold and how those same men did not pursue their standards
but made a young girl silent even though the girl feels her words
would sound more educated. It cannot be figurative for the title
does not refer to anything in the poem extensively. It cannot be
literal for the title is not explaining the reasoning behind
meaning of the title, the tone is cynical.
Theme:​ ​Rebel against the status quo: women are meant to be attractive instead of vocal. There
should be a balance between self-assertion and tranquility.