As Imperceptibly as Grief

“As Imperceptibly As Grief” Emily Dickinson grew up in a conventionally-religious home, and her poetry strongly reflects both the rhythms of the Protestant hymns she heard each Sunday in church and the importance of her religious faith. This can easily be seen in her poem “As Imperceptibly As Grief.” Emily Dickinson is known for her rigid form of rhyme and meter, she accepted these limitations as she accepted the many other limitations of her reclusive …

…the afterlife. In “As Imperceptibly as Grief,” therefore, Dickinson is in full command of two of her favorite subjects: nature and immortality. She uses her unique ability to look closely at nature and the natural world to illustrate her reflections on the invisible and indescribable -- in short, she uses nature to prove her articles of faith. For Dickinson, the dying and changing season proves the existence of God’s plan for us as well.