A Holistic Reading of Emily Dickinson’s Poems

Abstract

A holistic view sees the world as an entity in which each part is interlinked with and dependent upon the other. Emphasizing one and neglecting the other would lead to serious ecological and social problems. In the light of holism, an analysis of the poems written by Emily Dickinson, the nineteenth century American poet, would reveal the dominant roles that human-centered cognitive mapping and fragmented model of thinking have played in daily life and scientific research, and the possible influence of this world view on the future of human-nature relationship. Faced with the degenerating environment today, we have to admit that the concept of wholeness is much needed for the readjustment of human-world relationship.