It is possible to find similarities between opposites; one must simply think outside of the box. This is the case when comparing a joke to Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Jokes and Dickinson’s poetry are rarely compared to one another, but when breaking the two down, a homogenous relationship emerges. When analyzing Dickinson’s poetry, it is difficult to find evidence of humor, similar to how jokes are rarely thought of as intellectual; however, both are able to convey a message to the audience. Dickinson’s poetry and jokes are both expressions that are simply conveyed in different ways. In her poetry, Dickinson uses rhyme and punctuation to intrigue her audience similar to how jokes use punch lines. Although the objective of a joke is vastly different than that of Dickinson’s poetry, the result is still same, and the paths to that result are more parallel than some may consider. When examining composition, delivery, and effect, similarities quickly emerge connecting jokes with Emily Dickinson’s poetry.
Dickinson’s poetry is overrun with metaphors used to link her ideas to nature. This gives Dickinson’s audience a better understanding of her thoughts and feelings -- making it easier for the audience to understand the messages her poems deliver. “Generic as a Quarry / And hearty - as a rose - ” (Dickinson 5). Jokes work in the same way. Metaphors are commonly used in jokes to enhance your ability to find the humor within the joke. Such as the case with jokes, Dickinson’s poetry can be complex and difficult to understand at first, yet they use similar techniques to guide the you around this difficulty. Using diction to ingrain images into the minds of the audience, Dickinson’s poetry and jokes are able to overcome this obstacle. The feeling and mood accompanied by these images assists the you in drawing a conclusion to the meaning behind the joke or the poem.
The delivery of a poem or joke is equally important as the content. When the delivery of a joke is botched, you are left with little chance of understanding it. The same applies to poetry. If Dickinson failed to illustrate images through her words, the reader would be stuck. Without a sense of feeling or mood, it is easy to become confused and stuck trying to find the message with no evidence or support pointing you in the correct direction. Dickinson’s delivery of her poetry is different than that of a joke in the sense that jokes are often heard while poems are commonly read; however, the way Dickinson presents her poetry on the page is almost identical to how a joke is told. First, background is given such as what and where, then, a sudden shift occurs. In a joke, this shift is known as the punch line and is often succeeded by key information that enables you to understand the joke. The punch line in Dickinson’s poetry is much more subtle than the punch line of a joke, but it achieves the same effect. Commonly, Dickinson’s punch lines are mixed in with her metaphors, which is why they are often difficult to uncover. “The news like squirrels ran” (Dickinson 4). In the same fashion as the delivery of a joke, Dickinson uses a punch line to communicate her message to readers.
After the joke has been told or the poem has been read, you must remain thinking. However, you should not be thinking to understand; rather, you must consider how the poem or joke affected you. More often than not, a Dickinson poem must be read again or spoken out loud for the reader to establish an understanding of it. “Often, reading a (Dickinson) poem aloud can help to elucidate its meaning” (Emily Dickinson Museum 2015). The similarity between the effect of a joke and one of Dickinson’s poems resides in the emotional response it provokes from the audience. Although audience may have conflicting emotional responses to a joke versus a poem written by Emily Dickinson, both spark a reaction, and that is where the similarity between the effects of the two becomes clear.
Composition, delivery, and effect are the key similarities in the relationship between a joke and Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Because Dickinson’s poetry is the opposite of a joke, it is difficult to notice resemblances between the two; however, when looking closely these elements, similarities become as bright as a sunny afternoon. Although both serve different purposes and provoke dissimilar emotional responses, how Dickinson leads her reader to understanding the meaning or message is the same to that of a joke. To understand a joke or one of Dickinson’s poems, the audience must put themselves in a position to match the emotional state of the author or person telling the joke. In doing so, similarities between Dickinson’s poetry and jokes become obvious.
Click on the links below to find some Poems written by Emily Dickinson and a few jokes. See if you are able to establish similarities between the two. If you do, please post them in the comment section so that others are able to consider these similarities as well.
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