If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?
Emily Dickinson describes the profound impact poetry has on her. She highlights that a truly powerful poem can evoke deep physical sensations, such as feeling cold or having a heightened awareness that seems to lift her spirit. These visceral reactions signify that she has encountered something extraordinary in literature, which she identifies as poetry.
Her emphasis on physical sensations illustrates how poetry transcends mere words and touches the very essence of her being. Dickinson's personal criteria for recognizing poetry rely on these intense emotional and physical responses, suggesting that such experiences are unique and perhaps the only way to truly know when one has engaged with poetry's depth.
