Dickinson, Emily. “Heaven’ –is What I Cannot Reach.”

“Heaven’ –is What I Cannot Reach”

How does the speaker define heaven? How does the definition compare with conventional view?

The speaker defines heaven as something that we can’t reach according to the title. The speaker compares heaven to many things we can’t touch. There is a lot of things in life we want but can’t have. This definiation is the same as the conventional view. We think of heaven as a pleasant place everyone wants to go to. In reality, we can’t touch or even see heaven. We still know that it is somewhere we would like to go to.

Look up the myth of Tantalus and explain the allusion in line 3.

Tantalus had to stand in water with a fruit tree hanging out of his reach. The allusion in line 3 is a good comparison of heaven. We can’t touch heaven. Tantalus didn’t taste the fruit on the tree but knew would enjoy it. People haven’t been to heave before but know they would enjoy it as well.

Given the speaker’s definition of heaven, how do you think he or she would describe hell?

Hell like heaven is somewhere we can’t reach. The places as far as touching and seeing them are the same. I don’t think the speaker would  have talked positive about hell.

Works Cited

Dickinson, Emily. “Heaven’ –is What I Cannot Reach.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9^th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s 2012. 834. Print.