Summary Poem Analysis of 'What mystery pervades a well!' by Emily Dickinson
21 views 0 purchase
Course
Poetry
Institution
CIE
Here’s a full analysis of the poem ‘Whar mystery pervades a well!’ by Emily Dickinson, tailored towards A-Level students but also suitable for those studying at a higher level. Enjoy and feel free to leave feedback if you found it useful!
Includes:
POEM
VOCABULARY
STORY / SUMMARY
SPE...
What mystery pervades a well!
That water lives so far —
A neighbor from another world
Residing in a jar
Whose limit none have ever seen,
But just his lid of glass —
Like looking every time you please
In an abyss's face!
The grass does not appear afraid,
I often wonder he
Can stand so close and look so bold
At what is awe to me.
Related somehow they may be,
The sedge stands next the sea —
Where he is floorless
And does no timidity betray
But nature is a stranger yet;
The ones that cite her most
Have never passed her haunted house,
Nor simplified her ghost.
To pity those that know her not
Is helped by the regret
That those who know her, know her less
The nearer her they get.
, VOCABULARY
Mystery - something unusual or suspicious, which incites our curiosity
Pervades - infuses
Residing - living within something
Abyss - a dark void of nothingness, a seemingly bottomless hole in something
Awe - a feeling of shock, respect and admiration
Sedge - a type of grass that grows by water
Floorless - without a floor
Timidity - shyness
Cite - to refer to something
Pity - to feel sorry for someone
STORY/SUMMARY
Stanza 1: A well is so full of mystery! The water lives so far down it - it is like a
neighbour from another world that lives in a jar.
Stanza 2: No one has ever seen the limit of the water, you can only view his lid of glass
- it’s like looking every time you feel like it into the face of an abyss!
Stanza 3: The grass doesn’t seem afraid of wells like I am - I often wonder how he can
stand so close and look so confident at something that shocks and terrifies me.
Stanza 4: But nature is still a stranger to me; the ones that reference and talk about
her the most have never gone through her haunted house, or managed to truly simplify
the spirit of her.
Stanza 5: The sorrow that you feel for people who don’t know her is helped by the fact
that nobody can really fully understand nature: regretfully, even people who do know
her end up knowing her less the closer to her that they get.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller natashatabani. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.86. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
