Developing the Theme: Emily Dickinson and Alice Walker
Life is made up of different ideas and choices. In “It’s all I have to bring today-” by Emily Dickinson and “We Alone” by Alice Walker, a theme about this is brought up. Both poems support the idea that people should value the small things that bring beauty and happiness, even if the rest of the world doesn’t. The theme is developed through repetition, imagery, and speakers in both pieces.
The speaker in “It’s all I have to bring today-” seems gentle and sweet. She doesn’t care much for the chaos and competition that many people surround themselves with. All she has is her heart and the fields, but she’s ok with that. The speaker wants beauty and peace because they can make her happier than any material thing ever could. In “We Alone”, the speaker has the same message. He loves the beautiful things in life, which is shown in the second stanza: “Feathers, shells / and sea-shaped stones / are all as rare. “ He thinks money is overrated and isn’t as important as everyone thinks. In fact, people could devalue it by not caring, as shown in the first few lines. The good things life has to offer are simple and do not bring chaos like the busy marketplaces do. Both speakers deliver the same message, but in different ways. In “It’s all I have to bring today-”, nobody speaks against specific things like the person in “We Alone” when they talk about gold. She seems more open, even while she writes about the value of the fields and her heart.
Imagery is used in both poems. Emily Dickinson paints a picture of a field with gentle winds and the buzzing of bees. The meadow is peaceful and beautiful with flowers, birds, and grass. The speaker is staying there, happy and content. The sun shines and there is no worry about material things like money. The beginning of Alice Walker’s poem may make someone picture a busy marketplace with voices droning out and coins jingling. As the piece goes on, the image changes into a peaceful place like the first poem. It is quiet except for the wind and the waves. “We Alone” begins differently than “It’s all I have to bring today-”, but ends similarly with a peaceful setting.
There are not many words repeated in “We Alone”. The words ‘gold’ and ‘chain’ are used a few times, but that’s it. Gold is used as an example of something valued that people always want more of. The poem says, “Wherever there is gold / there is a chain, you know, / and if your chain / is gold / so much the worse / for you.” If gold, money, or material things are too important to you, you’re not valuing the things that really matter. It also says that if people could love what is plentiful as much as gold, everything would change; the world would be a better place. “It’s all I have to bring today-” uses repetition more than “We Alone”. It brings up the speaker’s heart multiple times. She thinks thoughts, feelings, and emotion are not valued very much, even though they are as beautiful as the meadows. The speaker doesn’t have much, but she realizes she has her heart. The word ‘all’ is used in repetition too. This could be because the whole of something is better than just a part. All of the meadows are undervalued, not just some. She can bring all these things to the table. Both poems repeat some important words, but mostly ideas. Both repeat and develop the theme that common things should be valued.
The theme is developed in both poems through repetition, imagery, and a certain speaker. Using these methods, the theme can be fully understood by readers. The poems give many reasons why beautiful things should be valued more than gold, money, and material things. Surely, beauty is worth more than gold.
The speaker in “It’s all I have to bring today-” seems gentle and sweet. She doesn’t care much for the chaos and competition that many people surround themselves with. All she has is her heart and the fields, but she’s ok with that. The speaker wants beauty and peace because they can make her happier than any material thing ever could. In “We Alone”, the speaker has the same message. He loves the beautiful things in life, which is shown in the second stanza: “Feathers, shells / and sea-shaped stones / are all as rare. “ He thinks money is overrated and isn’t as important as everyone thinks. In fact, people could devalue it by not caring, as shown in the first few lines. The good things life has to offer are simple and do not bring chaos like the busy marketplaces do. Both speakers deliver the same message, but in different ways. In “It’s all I have to bring today-”, nobody speaks against specific things like the person in “We Alone” when they talk about gold. She seems more open, even while she writes about the value of the fields and her heart.
Imagery is used in both poems. Emily Dickinson paints a picture of a field with gentle winds and the buzzing of bees. The meadow is peaceful and beautiful with flowers, birds, and grass. The speaker is staying there, happy and content. The sun shines and there is no worry about material things like money. The beginning of Alice Walker’s poem may make someone picture a busy marketplace with voices droning out and coins jingling. As the piece goes on, the image changes into a peaceful place like the first poem. It is quiet except for the wind and the waves. “We Alone” begins differently than “It’s all I have to bring today-”, but ends similarly with a peaceful setting.
There are not many words repeated in “We Alone”. The words ‘gold’ and ‘chain’ are used a few times, but that’s it. Gold is used as an example of something valued that people always want more of. The poem says, “Wherever there is gold / there is a chain, you know, / and if your chain / is gold / so much the worse / for you.” If gold, money, or material things are too important to you, you’re not valuing the things that really matter. It also says that if people could love what is plentiful as much as gold, everything would change; the world would be a better place. “It’s all I have to bring today-” uses repetition more than “We Alone”. It brings up the speaker’s heart multiple times. She thinks thoughts, feelings, and emotion are not valued very much, even though they are as beautiful as the meadows. The speaker doesn’t have much, but she realizes she has her heart. The word ‘all’ is used in repetition too. This could be because the whole of something is better than just a part. All of the meadows are undervalued, not just some. She can bring all these things to the table. Both poems repeat some important words, but mostly ideas. Both repeat and develop the theme that common things should be valued.
The theme is developed in both poems through repetition, imagery, and a certain speaker. Using these methods, the theme can be fully understood by readers. The poems give many reasons why beautiful things should be valued more than gold, money, and material things. Surely, beauty is worth more than gold.