If Recollecting Were Forgetting, Emily Dickinson: Summary & Analysis

"If Recollecting Were Forgetting" by Emily Dickinson presents a paradoxical exploration of memory and forgetting. Through its distinctive structure and contrasting ideas, the poem delves into the complex interplay between remembrance and oblivion. By juxtaposing notions of remembering and forgetting, the poem questions the nature of memory and the emotional responses associated with it. If Recollecting Were Forgetting Oh if remembering were forgetting — Then I remember not! And if forgetting — recollecting — How near I had forgot! And if to miss — were merry — And to mourn were gay, How very blithe the maiden Who gathered these today! Summary "If Recollecting Were Forgetting" engages in a series of paradoxical statements that highlight the intricate relationship between remembering and forgetting. The speaker contemplates the nature of memory by imagining scenarios where remembering could be akin to forgetting, and forgetting could lead to recollecting. The poem als…