Dialoguing in white

the poetic language of Emily Dickinson and Florbela Espanca

Abstract

This article proposes a contrastive analysis of the poetic language of Emily Dickinson and Florbela Espanca, focusing on the symbolic use of the color white in some of their poems. The work explores how both poets employ white to express complex emotions and address themes such as death and pain. The analysis identifies and discusses the symbolic nuances that white assumes in their works, transforming into a point of articulation between silence and words. Drawing on Vilém Flusser’s (2011) reflections, the study considers white as a means of grappling with the inarticulable. The poems “Castelã da tristeza” and “Cemitérios” by Florbela Espanca, as well as “A solemn thing – it was – I said –” and “The Color of the Grave is Green –” by Emily Dickinson, translated by Adalberto Müller, are examined to discuss the symbolic use of white. These poetic texts establish a dialogue between the two authors by associating the color white with death and pain. By fostering a dialogue between two authors from different contexts, the study reveals convergences and divergences in their poetic approaches, demonstrating how universal themes are reinterpreted in unique ways. In doing so, it contributes to literary studies by deepening the understanding of Dickinson’s and Espanca’s stylistic resources and their philosophical and existential implications. The research highlights how both poets, though in distinct ways, weave an implicit dialogue, perceptible through the contrastive analysis of their poetic texts, using white to navigate the inarticulable.