My life closed twice before its close--

A paradox is a statement which contains apparently opposing or incongrous

elements which, when read together, turn out to make sense. The first line

is paradoxical in that there are separate meanings for the words "closed"

and "close" -- Dickinson tells of having suffered 2 great losses, so

monumental as to be comparable to death. She wonders if another such

devastating event awaits her in the future.

There’s been a Death, in the Opposite House,

Such Houses have—alway --

The Neighbors rustle in and out --

The Doctor—drives away --

Somebody flings a Mattress out --

They wonder if it died—on that --

clothing—let the boys bring flowers, let be, let the lamp—there is an

Both poems have common elements (home and death, hustle and bustle, and a

Emperor of Ice-cream. The flinging out of a mattress may be a lasting image

each of the two stanzas in Stevens’ poem as well, in the couplets that end

in literature; the topic has been central to human thought since the

Both of theses poems are worthwhile reading, and both capture an element

be the final understanding of what the thing means. In this situation, the

The couplet does not end on a negative note, though. The declaration that

Some common words found in the essay are:
There’s There’ll, Appalling Trade, Opposite House, Emperor Ice-cream, Ice-cream Call, Twice Close, Comfort Dickinson, Dark Parade, Window Pod, Wallace Stevens’, stevens’ poem, dickinson’s poem, emperor ice-cream, emperor emperor, emperor emperor ice-cream, roller cigars, death home, call roller cigars, boys bring, bring flowers, there’s death opposite, funeral procession, there’s death, death opposite house, boys bring flowers,
Approximate Word count = 2844
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)