I like a look of Agony

I like a look of Agony,
Because I know it's true—
Men do not sham Convulsion,
Nor simulate, a Throe—

The Eyes glaze once—and that is Death—
Impossible to feign
The Beads upon the Forehead
By homely Anguish strung. 

Dickinson implies to the reader throughout the poem that death is a horrific and agonizing process. The first stanza the she writes reveals to the reader that when death hits someone, there is no way for them to disguise or brush off the pain or emotion that is happening at that time. A perfect example of what Dickinson is trying to explain would be a person in the event of having a seizure or a heart attack because no matter what they try to do come there selves down the pain and actions going on will overtake the body.Dickinson chooses to infer the word "Throe" into the poem to give the reader a greater understanding of how violent and sudden  pain or feeling can occur during the moment.

The second stanza she is informing the reader of the moment when death is almost completely taken the body over. When Dickinson presents to the reader "The Eyes glaze once—and that is Death—" she is evaluating that the body is still present, but the soul is basically gone. At this time there is nothing that the person in dying need can do. She gives a small amount of imagery, but the imagery she gives, which is "The Beads upon the Forehead,"- (the beads are spots of sweat) is a critical part of the readers analysis because it gives the reader a vivid visual of the condition the dying person is in.

I took from this poem the understanding of how serious, quick, and brutal the death process can be, and once it starts there is no faking the event. The poem also makes me realize how precious life is become during that one instant moment life turns up-side down, and there is nothing that can be done to continue living.

"Faith" is a fine invention

"Faith" is a fine invention
When Gentlemen can see—
But Microscopes are prudent
In an Emergency.


From the beginning of the poem Dickinson informs the reader that at times people visualize "faith" as a an invention, something that man has made. The only times that refer to this situation is when someone understands and knows that their will be an answer to their problems. For instance, when someone needs to pay their car note, house note, phone bill, etc. and they know that they will be able to pay their expenses because of the money they receive from working, that's when the "faith" that they posses is a viewable object because there is no worries about fixing the problem. Lines three and four hit the opposite side of the subject's spectrum because when someone has to cover expenses and there is no solution to the problem, that's when it is a struggle for a person to find and see their faith. She uses "Microscopes" as metaphor to relate to the reader to perceive how sometimes people have to look deep within to find there religious faith and roots when they are in serious need of help.

I feel that from taking in what this poem relates, can make a person realize that through hard and good times you always have to understand what or who is blessing and will bless you. By getting the concept of the poem, it will make you a stronger person during difficult times and give you the strength and power to always believe and seek your faith.

Surgeons must be very careful

Surgeons must be very careful

When they take the knife!

Underneath their fine incisions

Stirs the Culprit - Life!
 

The overall understanding that I perceive from this poem is that it is about basically about life. Dickinson's poem tells the reader that they determine or impact their own life and have to proceed the things they do in live carefully. If these actions aren't done, the consequences could be deadly, life threatening, or could predict the outcome of a person's life. This poem closely relates to the poem "The Road Not Taken" due to the life lesson that the reader receives. The metaphors and the personification she uses gives the reader a more serious understanding of how life can turn out. Dickinson inserts life as "Culprit" giving it a criminal upside of what can happen if the reader, who is the surgeon,  doesn't make the right decisions within their live span.


I interpret a sense of ownership from reading the poem because once a bad decision is made, the problem has to be dealt with and determining on how serious the matter is  there might not be any turning back trying to heal the damage that is done.