Emily Dickenson

Emily Dickinson's "The Goal" discusses her theory that each human being lives each day striving to obtain one specific goal. She theorizes that each individual longs to fulfill one specific achievement whether "expressed" to others or is "still" (line 2) and locked into the individual's heart.

Dickinson says that it is an inevitable part of human nature to live this way, whether one believes so or not, and have not been able to recognize the specific theme of their life as it is "admitted scarcely to itself" (line 5). She speculates that mankind attempts to cover their ambitions from others because they lack "credibility's temerity" (line 7) and are scared that they are less accomplished than they should be to even imagine so great of expectations. She also brings out that not only are people wary of sharing their dream to others, but they, themselves, approach it "adored with caution" (line 9).

Even though people doubt their ability to achieve the extent of their dream, Dickinson says that the further away and the less attainable, the more desirable of an objective it becomes. She says that people chase after their goal like someone chasing after "the rainbow's raiment" (line 11) which they continue to pursue for its beauty and the pot of gold, even though they know that it is only an appealing myth and the end of the rainbow does not truly exist at all.

She compares ones faith in achieving their goal as someone reaching "a brittle heaven" (line 9) and living their lives in blind faith that they will ultimately achieve that goal. People live their lives in part expecting to achieve utopia and to see the face of God at their death, but occasionally, they question the rationale of this heart's desire. They do, however, have to believe on the basis that without that belief, living a moral life and having a supernatural relationship would be ludicrous without that end reward of sitting at the feet of their maker. Likewise, one should live their life with a mortal...