A detailed line by line analysis of the poem "the wind begun to rock the grass" created by a 90% matric 2020 English HL student (top 1% in the subject).
Explains the meanings of lines, figures of speech used, structure and more.
‘The wind begun to rock the grass’ -Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
The wind begun to rock the grass
With threatening tunes and low—
He flung a menace at the earth— Storm imagery
A menace at the sky.
Nature’s reaction
The leaves unhooked themselves from trees—
And started all abroad; Signs of people
The dust did scoop itself like hands
And throw away the road. Punctuation
The wagons quickened on the streets, Sound devices
The thunder hurried slow—
The lightning showed a yellow beak,
And then a livid claw.
The birds put up the bars to nests—
The cattle fled to barns—
There came one drop of giant rain,
And then, as if the hands
That held the dams had parted hold,
The waters wrecked the sky,
But overlooked my father’s house—
Just quartering a tree—
Title
Dickinson did not title her poems (therefore the title is the first line). This shows us her
unconventional style.
The wind begun to rock the grass
The storm is slowly beginning. ‘Begun’ = incorrect grammar- poet immediately throws
audience off by showing her unusualness and off-killer view of the world.
With threatening tunes and low—
Metaphor: compares the sound of wind to a threatening song, emphasising the potential
for damage and destruction.
He flung a menace at the earth—
The storm is personified to be carelessly but powerfully throwing an ominous threat to
earth. Repeated use of dashes function as dramatic pauses to create tension.
A menace at the sky.
The storm unleashes a dangerous power. Full stop ends her point firmly by asserting that
nature is powerful.
Stanza
Through an unconventional POV, we are shown the power and force of nature.
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 EFT, 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 this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller TKahn. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R100,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
