1. The Theme of RELIGION in Emily Dickinson’s poems 22 nd April 2014 Emily sends you her Easter blessing. I’d rather have flies than chocolate.

2. Objective To understand how Emily Dickinson represents religion with her poems

3. If we are going to look at RELIGION in Emily Dickinson’s poems, which poems should we examine? The main ones are probably: I felt a funeral in my brain This world is not conclusion Behind Me—dips Eternity—

4. However, we may also consider: One need not be a Chamber — to be Haunted Because I could not stop for death The last Night that She lived as they all feature religion within them

5. IN GROUPS You will all have ONE of the main poems and ALL of the other three on which to focus. On the sheets: Find FIVE key points about your poem (one per sheet) together with quotations which illustrate these. Highlight links with any of the three ‘secondary’ poems. You may want to consider: Her relationship with religion Does she feel religion is important? How her views of religion compare with those of the time. Her use of language/form Emotional responses within the poems The reader’s reaction to the poems Be prepared to feed back to the rest of the group and ask questions to stimulate discussion.