Emily Dickinson
My initial reaction to reading Emily Dickinson's written work was that it was very difficult to follow just because I wasn't used to her style of writing. I also have to mention that I have one of the most simplistic minds out there. I'm pretty bummed about not fully understanding Dickinson as fast as everyone else has but I will in time. I am making progess by discussing with the professor my interpretation of each poem and by listening to other people's comments in class.
I totally see and understand the philosophical message in poem #67.
The overall message that I got was in order for one to understand what it feels like to win one has to loose in order to fully appreciate the concept of winning.
One way that helped me understand the optimistic message in poem #67 was relating it to award shows because I am very big on those. Yes, it is very sad but it's the truth. Take for instance the Oscars. If a person who won the award for Best Actress had been a new up and coming actress then her appreciation for the award wouldn't be as authentic.