Journal 27

Emily Dickins0n's poems can be sung to the tune of "Amazing Grace" and "Yellow Rose of Texas". her Poems have rhythmic lines and the reason that they can be sung to several different folk songs was because her rhyme scheme and and story telling can follow a musical beat. Dickinson grew up in a Christian family. Her family was very legalistic about Christian laws and held many Puritan beliefs. "Amazing Grace" is a hymn that is a staple for the Christian religion. The lyrics summarize the belief's of Christianity, and what Jesus did for us. Since she grew up in the church she most likely sang "Amazing Grace" and many other hymns. Because "Amazing Grace" is a base of the Christianity, Dickinson was very much influenced by this song. Most of her poems were published posthumously. I do not think that she wrote these poems to go along with the tune of "Amazing Grace", but the rhythm and beat of the poems were influenced by it. When she was writing the poems she had the tune in her head. Because she had it in her head, the tune most likely helped her with the cadence of the poem. When Dickinson grew up she she started to stray away from the Christian faith however. As she grew up and began writing it appeared that she was beginning to develop here own idea for religion. Her Christianity faith was diminishing, but her the things she had learned when she was young were still sticking with her. Even though her faith had changed, you never forget the things that you learn when you are young. The things that she was taught when she was young still had an influence on her. Because she had strayed from her faith when she grew up and became a writer, I do not believe that it was her intention to writer her poems to the tune of "Amazing Grace", but because she grew up with that tune and rhythm in her head she unintentionally did it.