HELP How does Emily Dickinson use dashes in Poem 362? Review the poem before you respond—you might find a detail or two to use in your answer.

632

The Brain—is wider than the Sky—

For—put them side by side—

The one the other will contain

With ease—and You—beside—

The Brain is deeper than the sea—

For—hold them—Blue to Blue—

The one the other will absorb—

As Sponges—Buckets—do—

The Brain is just the weight of God—

For—Heft them—Pound for Pound—

And they will differ—if they do—

As Syllable from Sound—

Emily Dickinson

While Dickinson's dashes often stand in for more varied punctuation, at other times they serve as bridges between sections of the poem—bridges that are not otherwise readily apparent. Dickinson may also have intended for the dashes to indicate pauses when reading the poem aloud.

sam knew that staying up late on a weeknight would effect his exam performance the next day. however, he believed that his friends would be mad at him if he didn't join them. peer pressure and the thought of losing his friends scared sam. he planned to meet them for a couple of hours and then leave early to study for the exam.