Metrically, the poem is primarily composed of iambic pentameter, five poetic feet with one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. For example, Dickinson writes, “The Soul selects her own Society” (1). This is the most common poetic structure, but Dickinson is willing to vary from this tradition meter. Some lines contain more or fewer feet. Additionally, her excessive use of dashes creates for a different sound when read. In the first stanza, Dickinson writes, “Then—shuts the Door—” (2). This appears to be iambic dimeter, but the dash creates a pause that disrupts the line’s rhythm. The lack of a consistent meter allows Dickinson to operate with a certain level of freedom. She can vary syllables and diction in order to clearly express her thoughts. The poem’s rhyme scheme is ABAB, CDCD, and EFEF. However, all but one of these rhymes are slant rhymes. This again shows Dickinson's willingness to contradict standard poetic styles. She includes rhyme, which creates the song-like reading that is both enjoyable and impactful, while still having the diction to express meaningful ideas. This shown by the fact that she is willing to use actual rhyme in the first quatrain. In other words, she
Metrically, the poem is primarily composed of iambic pentameter, five poetic feet with one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. For example, Dickinson writes, “The Soul selects her own Society” (1). This is the most common poetic structure, but Dickinson is willing to vary from this tradition meter. Some lines contain more or fewer feet. Additionally, her excessive use of dashes creates for a different sound when read. In the first stanza, Dickinson writes, “Then—shuts the Door—” (2). This appears to be iambic dimeter, but the dash creates a pause that disrupts the line’s rhythm. The lack of a consistent meter allows Dickinson to operate with a certain level of freedom. She can vary syllables and diction in order to clearly express her thoughts. The poem’s rhyme scheme is ABAB, CDCD, and EFEF. However, all but one of these rhymes are slant rhymes. This again shows Dickinson's willingness to contradict standard poetic styles. She includes rhyme, which creates the song-like reading that is both enjoyable and impactful, while still having the diction to express meaningful ideas. This shown by the fact that she is willing to use actual rhyme in the first quatrain. In other words, she