The Art Of Defamiliarization In Emily Dickinson's Poetry

Emily Dickinson, a famous American poetess of the 19th century, is a unique and unprecedented poet. She remained unknown and lived as a recluse, with only seven poems published. It was only thirty years after her death that people began to pay attention to her poetry. Her poems are always with irregular form, peculiar images, rich and uncommon imagination that made her poetry unique. This thesis attempts to explore how the effect of defamiliarization has achieved in Dickinson's poems.Following a brief introduction to the research work is the main body of this thesis that consists of four chapters:Chapter One serves as an introduction to Dickinson's life experience, the publication of her poems, the literature review of Dickinson study worldwide. The first chapter also includes the theory of defamiliarization, put forward by the famous Russian formalist, Victor Shklovsky. It makes familiar things appear unfamiliar through transformation or new perspectives, bringing up fresh sensation and prolonging the aesthetic process. Chapter Two examines the defamiliarization in theme. Dickinson did not observe the traditional way of writing poetry but showed her rebellious spirit. Her perspectives in themes are largely different from other poets. Chapter Three explores defamiliarization in forms. Dickinson uses unusual capitalization and non-titling to express her emotion and catch the readers'attention. Chapter Four examines defamiliarization in techniques. Dickinson was an expert in creating images and using gothic in her poetry.Based on the analysis of the above four chapters, this thesis concludes that Dickinson created the effect of defamiliarization through various techniques, making her poetry profound, ambiguous and unique.