There's a certain Slant of light: Structure & Language Techniques

There’s a certain Slant of light: Structure & Language Techniques

Structure

• “There’s a certain Slant of light” is made up of four quatrains, allowing a clear and concise message to emerge which mirrors the light piercing through the day.
• The rhyme scheme is relatively regular, sticking to an ABCB pattern which brings a sense of musicality and rhythm to the poem.

Language Techniques

• Dickinson utilises metaphor extensively, equating the slant of light to a physical weight which oppresses the individual.
• Through the imagery of shadow and light, she eloquently discusses the interplay between joy and despair, reality and illusion, understanding and uncertainty.
• The implementation of personification adds depth to the piece, in particular when describing the light slant as a cathedral and time as a divine figure.

Vocabulary

• Descriptive language is heavily used to impactfully portray the winter afternoon and its ‘certain slant of light’. This aids in conveying the complex emotions of melancholy and despair.

Punctuation

• Dickinson’s characteristic use of the dash persists in this poem, pointing to the stops and starts of contemplation and serving to isolate and emphasise key ideas.

Use of Imagery

• The imagery of a ‘winter afternoon’ is poignant in setting the tone and mood of despair and gloom.
• Dickinson vividly depicts the landscape she contemplates, with descriptions of shadows, light, and how they transform familiar objects, enhancing the surreal quality of the poem.