Paradox

The content of Dickinson's I taste a liquor never brewed is paradoxical. For instance, angels and heavenly figures would not normally support intoxication. However, in this poem, they are supportive of the speaker's "intoxication" in this specific case. Because God created the world for us to love, utilize, and care for, the angels are happy that the speaker is doing so.  For instance, the speaker says, "Tell Seraphs swing their snowy Hats-/And Saints-to windows run-/To see the little Tippler/Leaning against the-Sun-" (Dickinson, 797). Thus, the truth of the greatness of nature and our responsibility to to cultivate it is the truth that is revealed in the angel's ironic liking of the speaker's intoxication. That is all I have to say about paradox, so I think I will mention something about structure as well, because I haven't hit the sentence count minimum yet. Does that sentence count? Did that last one, or this one? Just kidding..but seriously.

The structure of this poem is also significant. The structure reflects the drunkenness of the speaker. The lines are broken up, suggesting the speaker's difficulty in speaking, a possible result of intoxication. The brokenness is present throughout the entire poem. For instance, the speaker says, "Inebriate of Air-am I-/And Debauchee of Dew-/Reeling-thro endless summer days-From inns of Molten Blue-"(Dickinson, 797). Clearly, something is wrong with the speaker, and we all know that she is drunk on nature.