There Is Another Sky by Emily Dickinson

There Is Another Sky by Emily Dickinson

There is another sky,

Ever serene and fair,

And there is another sunshine,

Though it be darkness there;

Never mind faded forests, Austin,

Never mind silent fields -

Here is a little forest,

Whose leaf is ever green;

Here is a brighter garden,

Where not a frost has been;

In its unfading flowers

I hear the bright bee hum:

Prithee, my brother,

Into my garden come!

INTRODUCTION -

The poem “There Is Another Sky” is written by the famous poet Emily Dickinson. It was published in 1890. The poem is a fourteen-line American sonnet that consists of a single stanza. The lines are short with only 3 to 5 metrical feet, and the rhyme scheme is different too - ABCBCDECFCGHIH. The poem depicts the poet’s writing as a “garden” with “unfading flowers”. She uses it to lure her brother back home who is far away from her. So, she is inviting her brother to this garden to read her poetry. The poet’s confidence in her creation of a world of beauty that will last forever has made the poem iconic and unique.

POET -

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (10 December 1830 – 15 May 1886) was an American poet. She challenged the existing definitions of poetry and the poet’s work. Her poems mostly deal with themes of death and immortality. During her lifetime, she wrote 1775 poems but didn't provide them with a title. Hence, all her works are known by their first line. Also only 10 of her works were published during her lifetime. Her most famous works include I'm Nobody! Who Are You?, Success Is Counted Sweetest, "Hope" Is The Thing With Feathers, etc.

SUMMARY -

LINES 1 TO 4 -

In the first four lines, the speaker states that there is an additional sky in existence along with the sky of this physical universe. But this other sky is quite different from the physical one as it is always calm and lovely. She then further says that there is also “another sunshine,” which can shine through the darkness in this other sky. Even though this sunshine cannot remove darkness, it still makes its way into this sky. This new world with these sky and sunshine is a better place to live than our mundane world.

LINES 5 TO 8 -

The speaker then directly addresses her brother, Austin telling him that he should ignore the “faded forests” where the trees are leafless and the “silent fields” where there are no crops. These forests and trees of our world lack the beauty of the other 'garden.' He should overlook those forests and fields because, in the other place to which she is inviting Austin, the “little forest” contains leaves that are green forever. The speaker remains very mysterious about this place where the sky, sunshine, forest, fields, and leaves behave differently from the physical universe. However, it is impossible to deny that this does not intrigue us.

LINES 9 TO 14 -

The speaker now claims that the place to which she refers is “a brighter garden.” This garden never experiences the killing effects of “frost.” Its flowers remain “unfading,” and she can listen to the bright bee humming in them. Lastly, the speaker invites her brother to this garden, so that he can finally return home. This garden is their new home where they will find calm and peace from the adversities of this boring human world.

THEMES -

• Creation of a world - The poet has fully utilized her imagination in creating a magnificent garden where only the good aspects of nature are found. The garden in the poem is seen as a close resemblance to the Garden of Eden. The serenity of the garden, the evergreen plants, and trees, the endless sunshine all direct our attention to the beauty of this place.

END -

Within the poem, Dickinson speaks directly to her brother, Austin. She tells him that there is “another sky” where one can live without worry. There, the flowers live forever, and there is no frost. Time has no power over her world; it exists as she conceived of it forever. This bright and uplifting poem suggests that writing has a power that transcends time and experience. The poem is innovative and metaphor-rich and describes the poet’s genius to its full capacity.