328. Notice the meter (rhythm) of this poem. Count the syllables (stressed and unstressed) in
each line. Which line in each stanza is different? Which stanza in the poem is different
from the others?
Now relate the structure to the meaning. What happens in the stanza that is structurally
different? Does what the stanza describes indicate a change or development in the meaning of
the poem?
How does the final stanza bring the poem to a new level? What metaphors does it use? What
are "Banks of Noon"?
Study Dickinson's skillful and playful language. What pun is she making with the word "Grass"
(stanza 2)? What does "Like one in danger, Cautious," modify (stanza 4)? What rhymes do you
find? What near (or "slant") rhymes are there? What rhymes, alliterations, and phonetic
correspondences does Dickinson make using words in the middle of lines in stanzas 2, 3, and 4?
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