Emily Dickinson Personification

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In the poem, “I Like to see it Lap the Miles,” Emily Dickinson uses personification to give life to the train the speaker is watching. The speaker in this riddle is even more mysterious than the subject of the riddle itself. It could be equally as likely to be the author or an image in nature. Perhaps the speaker is one of the rolling hills the train runs through. Once the reader figures out that Dickinson is talking about a train, next step is to figure out who is doing the talking. The speaker is just an observer separate from Dickinson. The speaker uses a tone expressing the feelings about this new technology by giving life to a train by personification. The mystery creature referred to here is actually a train; Dickinson uses a metaphor…show more content…
Suddenly, with the industrial revolution, a steam engine shows up in rural areas. “I like to see it lap the miles” captures the shock of this new technology by emphasizing just how strong and mighty it is. The image, “around a pile of mountains” gives the reader imagery of a less-urban look. “In shanties by the sides of roads” helps describe where this new nineteenth century steam engine chugs through. By framing the unnatural creature, the steam train, in natural terms and in a rural setting, Dickinson forces readers to contemplate the setting. The train is wild in this setting. The train has power and…show more content…
The personification is also shown in the word, “Supercilious” (6). By definition, supercilious refers to a person behaving as if they are superior to others. Perhaps the narrator thought the trains did not belong in these rural areas and that the trains are superior to the normal standard of living. The setting here is obviously up to standard. The surrounding area are described as “shanties” (7). The image here is the train is condescendingly looking into the shacks on the sides of the roads. The narrator clearly thinks the train is out of place and possibly unwelcome. Especially if anyone is doing any “complaining” (10). Since readers know the object is a train, they know that trains can be incredibly loud. The narrator uses ‘complaining’ perhaps as a further use of personification of a person. The word “stanza” in the poem is pecular to see. (11). The word stanza describes poetry, so the narrator uses it indirectly talking about poetry. Stanza refers to the rhythmic sounds coming from the train. Chuga chuga chuga choo choo repeats and
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