Poems are often called an indicator of a person’s soul. Many famous writers have put their lives into their characters, not to forget their character traits but also to show their lives through the eyes of others. This allowed not only the reader to plunge into the world of the writer’s life but also the author himself to evaluate his works and life in general. At the same time, this applies not only to poets but to any creative person who is in one way or another associated with literature. Such a move with the creation of a character or an event that took place in the life of a writer is far from new, but there are really masters of their craft, such as Dickinson and Herbert. Both authors are extremely similar, not so much in style or technique, but in the ideas and metaphysics of the perception of the divine, which they describe in their poems.
Both Dickinson and Herbert are considered among the best writers who managed to tell not only the story of the characters, but also a great talent in creating images. If considering Dickinson’s work, one can see that her poems are in many ways similar to the author’s own way of life. If talking about specific examples, the first poem that comes to mind is number 49 in her work, especially such lines as “Twice have I stood a beggar Before the door of God!” (Poem of Quotes, lines 1-2). It is imbued with loneliness and hopelessness, which can also be said of the author. Although the verse itself is small in volume, comparing it with other similar Dickinson works, one can see that it is not significantly different in its atmosphere and content. This is entirely in keeping with the writer’s work, for even her close friends and relatives said that she was a proponent of a quiet and measured life. At the same time, there is a fact, which states that a large number of her poems she did not release to the public, and they were found after the death of the author.
The same can be said about another author, George Herbert, who also described his spiritual and personal experiences in verses. Special attention needs to be dedicated to the lines that start the poem “Having been tenant long to a rich lord, Not thriving, I resolved to be bold, And make a suit unto him, to afford A new small-rented lease, and cancel the old” (Baldwin, lines 1-4). Although ideologically very different from Dickinson’s poetry, in many ways, they are similar to the personification of the characters shown there. This verse shows a man and his quiet and measured life, which fully fits the description of the author, who was also withdrawn and preferred the study of theology to secular gatherings. However, the closest thing lies in the approach of the two poets to the consideration of the metaphysics of their lives. They were both withdrawn and calm, but in many ways this came from their religious and natural-philosophical outlook on life. This is also reflected in his poetry, which is filled with allusions and direct quotations from the Bible. Consequently, it can be assumed that this characteristic was also drawn from the author’s personal experience and way of life.
After analyzing both works and authors, one can understand their views on the world and their metaphysical perception of existence. Both were modest and withdrawn, experienced severe difficulties in life, but retained their view of the world. The world of the two authors is perceived through the religious inspiration of poverty and sincerity. The poetry of both authors is filled with sincere spiritual experience, which had a noticeable impact on the work of writers and made them masters of creating characters in literary works.
Works Cited
Baldwin, Emma. “Redemption by George Herbert.” Poem Analysis, 2019, Web.
Poem of Quotes. “I Never Lost as Much but Twice by Emily Dickinson Analysis & Poem.” Poem of Quotes: Read, Write, Learn, 2021, Web.