Markus Widmer 
Breakdown in Emily Dickinsons Poem 280 [PDF ebook] 

Seminar paper from the year 1995 in the subject American Studies – Literature, grade: 1 (A), University of Zurich (English Seminar), course: Introduction to Literature Part 2, language: English, abstract: This paper is a discussion of mental breakdown and its consequences on the lyrical self in Emily Dickinson’s poem #280. It investigates the nature of the breakdown described in the poem as well as its results. The author’s conclusion is that Dickinson points towards a new kind of perception beyond sanity, which is mirrored in the poem’s use of language.