I Dreaded That First Robin
I dreaded that first Robin, so,
But He is mastered, now,
I’m accustomed to Him grown,
He hurts a little, though —I thought If I could only live
Till that first Shout got by —
Not all Pianos in the Woods
Had power to mangle me —I dared not meet the Daffodils —
For fear their Yellow Gown
Would pierce me with a fashion
So foreign to my own —I wished the Grass would hurry —
So — when ’twas time to see —
He’d be too tall, the tallest one
Could stretch — to look at me —I could not bear the Bees should come,
I wished they’d stay away
In those dim countries where they go,
What word had they, for me?They’re here, though; not a creature failed —
No Blossom stayed away
In gentle deference to me —
The Queen of Calvary —Each one salutes me, as he goes,
And I, my childish Plumes,
Lift, in bereaved acknowledgment
Of their unthinking Drums —
Summary of I Dreaded That First Robin
- Popularity of “I Dreaded That First Robin”: Written by Emily Dickinson, a phenomenal American writer and poet, “I Dreaded That First Robin” is an impressive poem. The poem depicts the speaker’s fear about the arrival of spring. Emily wrote this poem keeping in mind the change spring brings to the world. The poem has gained immense popularity because it sheds light on human’s reluctant nature.
- “I Dreaded That First Robin” As a Representative of Change: The poem describes the speaker’s reluctance about the arrival of spring as represented by the first robin that flies past her. Despite her initial aversion to the bird, she has grown accustomed to its presence as a sign that spring has come. The speaker desires to avoid the sights and sounds of spring, specifically, the yellow daffodils and the buzzing of bees. She longs for the grass to grow tall and conceal the blossoms, expressing a reluctance toward the arrival of spring. However, despite her fear, spring arrives, and all its creatures, including the robin, daffodils, and bees, greet the speaker. The speaker accepts the season’s greetings and acknowledges them with a sense of loss or sacrifice.
- Major Themes of the Poem, “I Dreaded That First Robin”: Fear, uncertainty, change, and acceptance are the major themes of the poem. The poem is composed in a way that demonstrates a clear contrast in the speaker’s emotions, with one half of the poem expressing hesitation and reluctance toward spring and the other half showing acceptance and acknowledgment. Initially, she dreads the change that spring brings, as it signifies the passing of time and the inevitability of death. Despite this fear, she ultimately realizes that change is an inevitable part of life and must be accepted. Thus, the poem’s second part shows a significant shift in her thoughts where she readily agrees with the demands of the new season. The poem also reflects the themes of mortality and the human fear of death. The word “dreaded” signifies that the speaker is hesitant and unsure about what the arrival of spring will bring, possibly indicating a reluctance to embrace change or uncertainty.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in I Dreaded That First Robin
literary devices are techniques used by authors to add depth, meaning, and interest to their writing. Emily Dickinson also added some literary elements to this poem to enhance its intended impact. The analysis of the devices used in this poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “Had power to mangle me” and the sound of /o/ in “I’m accustomed to Him grown.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick successions, such as the sound of /w/ in “What word had they” and the sound of /t/ in “too tall, the tallest one.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “In those dim countries where they go” and the sound of /r/ in “They’re here, though; not a creature failed.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“I thought If I could only live
Till that first Shout got by —
Not all Pianos in the Woods
Had power to mangle me”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Emily Dickenson used imagery in this poem, such as; “Not all Pianos in the Woods”, “In those dim countries where they go” and “Lift, in bereaved acknowledgment.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The writer used change as an extended metaphor in the poem to show how the change in weather affects humans and other creatures equally.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem uses symbols such as worry, fear, reluctance, change, and acceptance to depict change in weather and human beings.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in I Dreaded That First Robin
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
- Free Verse: Free verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here each stanza is quatrain.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are seven stanzas in this poem, with each comprised of four lines.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. The poem shows the use of a fearful yet optimistic tone.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to use to describe the feelings of a person who adores the beauty of chilly winter.
“I dreaded that first Robin, so,
But He is mastered, now,
I’m accustomed to Him grown,
He hurts a little, though.”