Somebody vs. Nobody: An Analysis and Collage of Emily Dickinson’s #288 “I’m Nobody!” Poem
Artist Statement
For my project, I created a collage inspired by Emily Dickinson’s “#288” short lyric poem. Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) was known for her reclusive nature and desire to avoid the public eye and lived a private life in Amherst, Massachusetts. She spent much of her time in her room writing, and it is likely that her surroundings — the quiet town of Amherst and the solitude of her home — influenced the imagery and theme of individuality in her poem “#288.”
In the poem, the speaker introduces themselves as “Nobody,” producing the image of someone insignificant and invisible to the outside world (Dickinson 1). Following this statement, the speaker reflects on the “dreary” publicity of “Somebody,” depicting this persona as a “Frog” in the spotlight (5–6). “#288” juxtaposes the private “Nobody” and public “Sombody[’s]” lives, which emphasizes how a secluded life is preferable to a prominent life. This contrast highlights the desire to escape the expectations and demands of being an important figure, and instead embrace the freedom and anonymity of being “Nobody.” Additionally, “#288” divulges a tone of irony throughout the poem because of its disparity to traditional societal desires: being famous is worse than being unseen. By juxtaposing the identities of “Nobody” and “Somebody” in an ironic portrayal of stereotypical societal standards, Emily Dickinson’s “#288” poem explores the theme of individuality and self-acceptance.
In my collage inspired by “#288,” I creatively delineated the theme of the poem through the visual juxtaposition of “Nobody” and “Somebody.” On one hand, the image of a hand pressed against glass symbolizes the isolation and invisibility of “Nobody.” Because glass is see-through, the person trapped behind can observe everything but never participate — due to the physical separation of glass between them and the world. I optically depicted the “pair of [Nobodies]” by connecting two glass-encased hands with a dotted line — revealing their solidarity in the midst of seclusion in the corners of the collage (3). On the other hand, the frog in a suit represents the constant scrutiny and pressure of the “Somebody” who is portrayed as a “Frog” (6). The crowd of onlookers visually illustrates the judgment of the public, adding to the pressure of the centered “Somebody.” From the imagery of a “Frog” croaking in the summer to an “admiring Bog,” I created the thought bubble of “Somebody” to mirror the unfavorable life of chasing the public’s affection and attention (6–8). I placed all of these visual elements in the same collage to highlight the contrast between the private, peaceful life of “Nobody” and the public, pressing life of “Somebody.”
#288 Emily Dickinson
I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you — Nobody — too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d banish us — you know!
How dreary — to be — Somebody!
How public — like a Frog –
To tell your name — the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!
Works Cited
Cornelius, Kay. “Dickinson, Emily.”, Chelsea House, 2002. , online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=257610&itemid=WE54&articleId=1506. Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.
Dickinson, Emily, 1830–1886. I’m Nobody! Who Are You?: Poems of Emily Dickinson for Children. Owings Mills, Md.:Stemmer House Publishers, 1978.
