Shipwreck- Emily Dickinson

Tone in stanzas 1 and 2?

• Celebratory

• Mournful

Tone in stanzas 3 and 4?

• Sorrowful

• Mournful

• Joyful

• Jubilant

Summary of the poem

• The poem contrasts the celebration vs

  loss which were the result of an actual

  shipwreck which had occurred.

• The poem compares the celebration vs

  loss which were the result of an actual

  shipwreck which had occurred.

True or False

This poem is about an actual shipwreck in which 40 people lost their lives. The poem contrasts

the joy at the survival of four people and the sorrow that 40 people died. It is this sorrow/loss that

us the focus of stanzas three and four. The tale is told to children on a cold winter night. The

speaker’s sorrow is clear and there is no empty cliché offered as “only the waves reply”.

Comment on the structure of the poem.

• This poem has 4 stanzas of 4 lines each. It follows a strict rhyme pattern: abcb defe ghih jklk. It is

  close in form to a ballad but does not have the prerequisite refrain characteristic of this form.

• This poem has 5 stanzas of 4 lines each. It follows a strict rhyme pattern: abcb defe ghih jkll. It is

  close in form to a ballad and has the prerequisite refrain characteristic of this form.

What is the impact of the title?

• The – tells the reader that this poem is about a specific shipwreck.

  Shipwreck – implies a tragedy, usually involving the loss of lives, grief and mourning. This sets

  the tone for the poem.

• The – tells the reader that this poem is about a shipwreck.

  Shipwreck – implies a tragedy, usually involving the loss of lives, grief and mourning. It remibds the reader about the importance of life. This sets

  the tone for the poem.

What punctuation mark emphasizes the joyful mood in stanza 1?

• Exclamation mark

• Fullstop

• Dash

The impact of the opening line

• There is reason to be very happy. This is emphasised by the !

• There is reason to be very sad. People died.

Discuss the irony in the opening line

• The first line is ironic. While the people are relieved that the storm is over, Forty people died as a

  result of this storm.

• The first line is ironic. While the people are sad that there are people who are dead there's hope for the living.

How many survived?

• Forty

• Four

• Five