In a search for a sense of belonging, [we will encounter both opportunities to be

accepted and the disappointment of isolation and rejection by those we meet in

our search]. This universal [experience and quest] is often explored in texts,
where authors seek to illustrate this search through their writings. Emily
Dickinsons autobiographical poem The Saddest Noise, The Sweetest Noise
explores the [disappointments] associated with the separation caused by death.
In contrast, Dickinsons I Had Been Hungry All the Years, and This Is My Letter
to the World demonstrates feeling a sense of belonging, as well as the barriers
that restrict and isolate her. Consequently, when we examine and read these
texts deeply, we find representations of the [opportunities and disappointments]
that beset all searches for belonging.
The Saddest Noise, The Sweetest Noise shows how we all belong to the natural
world and are collectively susceptible to the cycles of death and loss. Dickinson
describes the sound of birds in the evening and how, although sweet sounding,
they remind her of people she has lost in her life. Using the extended metaphor
of magic and sorcery, Dickinson demonstrates how the alienating process of
death is, like magic, somewhat inexplicable. The persona uses the inclusive
pronouns us and we to emphasise that this experience is a shared one, as we
all belong to nature. The allusion to the deadly siren throats and the emotive
word deplore, shows how painful the alienating force of death can be. The
double entendre of dear in the third stanza underscores firstly, the value of the
people that we may lose to death and secondly, the way that we fully appreciate
their value to us once death has taken them. The last stanza illustrates how
belonging is a double-sided coin in that we may find joy and happiness in the
relationships we form with others, but we may also feel great pain and loss once
those connections are severed. Dickinson uses the metaphor of the ear and the
heart- we wish the ear had not a heart to express her wish that she could
appreciate the beauty of nature without being painfully reminded of the way it
can inexplicably destroy our belonging to people gone.
I had been hungry all the years presents a persona who, while socially isolated,
finds opportunities to look inward for a stronger sense of belonging. The
metaphor of the berry being transplanted to the road creates a sense of
isolation and disconnection, reinforced by the harsh juxtaposition of the soft
berry and hard road. After feeling this disconnection, the persona now desires to
belong to a different class, which she describes as curious because it is new and
unfamiliar. The motif of the window is a metaphor for the social barriers such as
wealth and education that prevent any transition between classes. The
symbolism of the ample bread represents all that she is excluded from. The
persona realises that she can never obtain a sense of belonging due to her social
status- nor was I hungry, becoming aware that it is not simply food she desires
but something more. The line the entering takes away is ironical since the
entering sates the hunger not because the food nourishes, but rather leads to
the understanding that the food can never satisfy our hunger, and gives us the
opportunity to discover our own, more genuine sense of belonging.
In This is my letter to the world, the persona, despite the isolation and rejection
she has experienced from society, is still able to find opportunities to belong with
nature. The poem is an example of metapoetry, which Dickinson uses as a
medium to communicate with the society that she is excluded from. Similar to I
had been hungry all the years, the persona in this poem feels a strong need to
belong to the world, using the metaphor of a letter to the world to reach out
and find a sense of community. The use of the absolute never in the line that
never wrote to me highlights the extent of the personas alienation from society.
Nevertheless, the persona still reaches out, mirroring the universal need to
belong. She juxtaposes tender with majesty, drawing connotations of
soft/gentle, and grand/large, respectively, to symbolise nature, which is both
powerful and serene. The persona, though rejected by the world, has found
refuge in nature, which she personifies- for love of her. Nature is nurturing and
accepting towards the persona, and is her only connection to the world. The
exclamation of judge tenderly of me! illustrates the personas, and to an extent,
the rest of the worlds urgent need to belong.