If You Were Coming in the Fall By: Emily Dickinson

1. If You Were Coming in the FallBy: Emily Dickinson Originally Published in Poems edited by Mabel Loomis Todd and T. W. Higginson in 1890 Analyzed By: Sydney Holcomb and Nina Cao

2. Thesis • There are many literary terms used in Emily Dickinson’s poem, making it an excellent choice to keep in the Glencoe 10th Grade Literature book.

3. Rhythm and Rhyme Scheme • Dickinson’s poem has an ABCB rhyme scheme. • The poem has alternating lines of iambic octameter and iambic tetrameter. If you | were com|ing in | the fall, (A) (8) I’d brush | the sum|mer by, (B) (6) With half | a smile | and half | a spurn, (C) (8) As house|wives do | a fly. (B) (6)

4. Several Types of Organization • This poem has five stanzas of quatrain. If you were coming in the fall, (line 1) I’d brush the summer by, (line 2) With half a smile and half a spurn, (line 3) As housewives do a fly. (line 4) • Dickinson’s poem is also Lyric Poetry.

5. Tone • The tone is informal in that Dickinson uses both contractions and the word “you.” If you were coming in the fall, (line 1) I’d brush the summer by, (line 2)

6. Parallelism • The word “If” starts each of the first four stanzas displaying parallelism. If you were coming in the fall (line 1) If I could see you in a year (line 5) If only centuries delayed (line 9) If certain, when this life was out (line 13)

7. Allusion • This poem makes an interesting allusion to the former name for Tasmania, originally Van Diemen’s land. • Tasmania was originally named for the governor who sent the explorer that discovered the land. Subtracting till my fingers dropped, (line 11) Into Van Diemen’s Land.(line 12)

8. Metaphor • A metaphor is used to compare two unlike things like months and balls of yarn. I’d wind the months in balls,(line 6) And put them each in separate drawers,(line 7) • She states she’d “wind” the months to compact them. • She’d “put them each in separate drawers” to keep yarn from tangling or to keep months from running together.

9. Simile • The author uses a figurative language called similes. As housewives do a fly(line 4) • Dickinson compares herself to a housewife. If certain, when this life was out,(line 13) That yours and mine should be,(line 14) I’d toss it yonder like a rind,(line 15) • She compares her life to a rind stating she’d toss it away like trash.

10. Symbolism • Symbolism is used to give deeper meaning. But now, all ignorant of length, (line 17) Of time’s uncertain wing, (line 18) It goads me, like the goblin bee, (line 19) That will not state its sting. (line 20) • The goblin bee’s sting symbolizes the arrival or meeting of Dickinson and her lover.

11. Mood • The mood is set as desperate, lonely and love. • She is willing to throw any amount of time away to see her lover making her desperate as shown in the following lines: If certain, when this life was out,(line 13) That yours and mine should be,(line 14) I’d toss it yonder like a rind,(line 15) • She only yearns for her lost lover, signifying loneliness. • Dickinson truly cares and longs for the person in her poem indicating the mood of love.

12. Imagery • Dickinson’s uses imagery to appeal to her readers’ senses. I’d brush the summer by, (line 2) With half a smile and half a spurn, (line 3) As housewives do a fly. (line 4) • The image of a housewife swatting at a fly comes to mind. If only centuries delayed, (line 9) I’d count them on my hand, (line 10) • A person with their fingers up pressing each down until a closed fist faces them appeals to your sight.

13. Allusion Imagery Metaphor Mood Parallelism Rhythm Rhyme Scheme Similes Symbolism Tone Conclusion Emily Dickinson’s poetic work is a necessity to the curriculum in the 2012 edition of Glencoe 10th Grade Textbook because it contains the following essential literary terms: