Power of Punctuation

 After you have learned about the different types of dashes, read Emily Dickinson’s poem below.

Answer the following questions in a complete paragraph.

• How does the speaker use diction and figurative language to portray what it’s like to be a “somebody”? What tone does this create? Use evidence from the poem.
• Describe the form, structure, and punctuation of the poem. What effect does this have on the overall poem?

Do not stress as I know we are not poetry scholars. The goal is to see the effect of words and punctuation has on the readers.

LaTonzia 

I’m Nobody! Who are you? (260)

Emily Dickinson (Links to an external site.)

– 1830-1886

I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!

How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!