Analysis

• "Imperceptibly" - The word ‘imperceptibly could suggest that no-one

  notices the speaker’s pain and grief because it has happened so gradually.
• "Grief" - The word ‘grief’ suggests that the pain is unbearable and overwhelming. Grief is seen to be life-changing.
• "The summer" - could represent happiness or the peak time in life.
• "Lapsed Away" - The verb ‘lapsed’ could represent that time is passing and the speaker in the poem is thinking that death is approaching.
• "Perfidy" - The word ‘Perfidy’ may suggest that Dickinson does not trust time and she feels almost tricked by how quickly time/happiness is taken away.
• "As Twilight" - The use of the image ‘Twilight’ could suggest that the speaker is trapped between dark/depressed and light/happiness.
• "Long begun" - ‘Long ago’ shows a melancholic tone of the darkness taking over the happiness.
• "Dusk drew earlier in" - ‘Dusk’ is coming earlier each day suggesting the light is leaving her life.
• "Morning foreign shone" - The morning is ‘foreign’ to her because it offers light and hope. This is something that she does not recognise.
• "A courteous, yet harrowing Grace" - The phrase ‘harrowing Grace’ suggests that everything that should be gentle and kind to her seems painful and frightening.
• "Wing" , "Keel" - ‘Wing’ and ‘Keel’ could suggest that the speaker feels

  like she is unstable and trapped. The speaker craves freedom but can’t

  see any escape.
• "Light escape" - The word ‘light’ could suggest that the speaker has finally accepted that time passes and that they will have to face death.
• "Into the beautiful" - The poem ends positively by Dickinson using the word ‘Beautiful’. This could imply that she is now ready to move on to heaven.