On The Importance of Ambiguity

Understanding the Significance of Ambiguity with the Works of William Empson and Emily Dickinson

If you have been following my work for a while now, then you must be aware of my interest in the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Being a poet myself, I have always tried to read her work with a deep focus on the construction of the lyrics. In Emily’s world, words are not merely carriers of explicit meaning but are imbued with layers, each revealing a depth that defies simple interpretation. In simpler terms, her work is heavily laden with ambiguity. 

My fascination with ambiguity in language is not new. It has been a constant companion in my perusal of literature and philosophy. The essence of this fascination finds a structured voice in William Empson's seminal work, "Seven Types of Ambiguity," where he categorises the multifaceted nature of ambiguity into seven distinct types. For those of you who aren’t aware, Empson was a literary critic and poet from 20th century England. Last week, I came across the epilogue that he had written for the aforementioned book. This led me into considering ambiguity in language in a formal sense. 

But why focus on ambiguity, and why anchor this exploration in the poetry of Emily Dickinson? The answer lies in the belief that ambiguity is not merely a stylistic device or a linguistic anomaly but a fundamental aspect of the human condition. Ambiguity reflects the complexity of life itself, embodying our struggles, contradictions, and the perennial search for meaning in an often inscrutable world. Emily's poetry, with its simplicity and depth, serves as a perfect candidate to illustrate the types of ambiguity identified by Empson.

Each type of ambiguity, from the multiplicity of meanings to the blurring of subject and object, will be explored through the lens of Emily's verses.  In doing so, I hope you get to appreciate how ambiguity in language mirrors the complexities of our inner and outer worlds. Emily herself said it best - "There is no Frigate like a Book / To take us Lands away."

Artwork - Ambiguity

The Importance of Ambiguity in Language

Ambiguity, in its many forms, acts as a bridge between the said and the unsaid, the known and the unknowable. 

In literature, ambiguity is not merely a quirk of language but a deliberate tool wielded by writers to open doorways to multiple interpretations, inviting readers to do the meaning-making. It challenges us to engage more deeply with the text, to bring our own experiences, emotions, and intellect to bear on the act of interpretation.

Life, in its essence, is ambiguous. We navigate through a world replete with uncertainties, contradictions, and paradoxes, where truth often eludes definitive capture. In this context, language that embraces ambiguity mirrors the complexity of human experience, allowing for a richer, more nuanced articulation of our thoughts, feelings, and the mysteries that surround us.

Now that we are clear on the importance of ambiguity in language and what it represents, we can start with the seven types of ambiguity as detailed by Empson.

1. Multiple Meanings

Empson's first type of ambiguity deals with words that carry multiple meanings within a single context. This is straightforward by definition and doesn’t require too much explanation. Let us consider how Emily Dickinson deploys this ambiguity in her works.

One poignant example of this can be found in her well-known poem "Because I could not stop for Death". 

Because I could not stop for Death –

He kindly stopped for me –

The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

And Immortality.

In these lines, "Death" is not the end of physical life but carries multiple connotations, i.e., a transition, a journey, perhaps even a suitor. The personification of Death 'kindly' stopping suggests a gentleness, a courtesy that contrasts sharply with the typical associations of fear or abruptness. 

This ambiguity opens the door to multiple interpretations. Is Death a friend? A guide? An inevitable journey? Each reading offers a different nuance to the poem's exploration of mortality and the afterlife.

Another example is found in "My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun", where Emily explores the ambiguity of power, voice, and identity.

The 'Loaded Gun' metaphor carries with it ambiguity in its potential for power, destruction, protection, and voice. Is Emily expressing a sense of empowerment, danger, or something else entirely? The ambiguity makes you contemplate the layers of meaning behind the metaphor, considering the poem in the context of Emily’s own constrained circumstances and broader themes of agency and silence.

2. Structural Ambiguity

Moving into the realm of syntax, Empson's second type of ambiguity centres on the structural ambiguity in language. This type focuses on how the arrangement of words within a sentence can lead to multiple interpretations, each equally viable. Emily Dickinson's poetry is rich with such structural ambiguities.

A striking example of structural ambiguity can be seen in Emily’s poem, “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain”.

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,

And Mourners to and fro

Kept treading – treading – till it seemed

That Sense was breaking through –

The arrangement of words in these lines allows for multiple interpretations of the experience being described. Is the 'Funeral' an actual event, a metaphor for a mental breakdown, or a profound existential realisation? The ambiguity in the structure of the sentence, particularly the placement of 'in my Brain,' blurs the lines between literal and metaphorical, internal and external.

Another example can be found in “Tell all the truth but tell it slant”.

Tell all the truth but tell it slant —

Success in Circuit lies

Too bright for our infirm Delight

The Truth's superb surprise

As Lightning to the Children eased

With explanation kind

The Truth must dazzle gradually

Or every man be blind —

The poem's structure, with its enjambments and dashes, creates a rhythm that itself feels indirect or 'slant,' mirroring the content. The ambiguity here lies in how the truth should be told and what it means to tell it "slant." 

Is Emily advocating for a gentle revelation of truth, or is she suggesting that truth, by its nature, cannot be fully comprehended if presented directly? The structural ambiguities within the poem amplify its thematic concerns. Emily exploits structural ambiguity to enhance the interpretative richness of her poetry. 

3. Contradictory Meanings

Empson's third type of ambiguity about statements that hold contradictory meanings simultaneously, a nuanced balancing act that Emily executes with finesse. This type of ambiguity gives her poetry a tension that compels readers to wrestle with seemingly opposing ideas, reflecting the complex dualities and paradoxes inherent in human experience.

In her poem "Much Madness is divinest Sense", Emily makes great use of this form of ambiguity:

Much Madness is divinest Sense -

To a discerning Eye -

Much Sense – the starkest Madness -

’Tis the Majority

In this, as all, prevail -

Assent – and you are sane -

Demur – you’re straightway dangerous -

And handled with a Chain -

Emily juxtaposes 'Madness' and 'Sense,' asserting that what is considered madness by the majority may actually be a profound sense to "a discerning Eye." The ambiguity arises not only from the reversal of conventional wisdom but also from the realisation that sanity and madness are not absolutes but exist in relation to social consensus. Emily’s crafty use of contradiction redefines rationality and madness.

Another example can be seen in "We grow accustomed to the Dark", where Emily explores the metaphor of darkness and light.

We grow accustomed to the Dark -

When Light is put away -

As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp

To witness her Goodbye -

Here, the ‘Dark’ and ‘Light’ serve as metaphors for the unknown and the known, for adversity and comfort. The poem navigates the ambiguity of human adaptation to loss and the unfamiliar, suggesting that comfort in darkness, or the unknown, is possible and, perhaps, necessary. 

The contradiction lies in the natural preference for light and clarity over darkness and obscurity, yet Emily suggests a counterintuitive embrace of the dark. This ambiguity forces the reader to confront their own fears of the unknown.

Through these poems, Emily employs contradictory meanings that give her work layers of interpretation. 

4. Multiple Layers of Meaning

Empson’s fourth category is related to metaphor and simile, where ambiguity arises from the richness of imagery and its capacity to evoke more than one layer of meaning simultaneously. Emily Dickinson's poetry is replete with such dense, evocative imagery.

One of my favourite uses of metaphorical ambiguity by Emily is in “A Bird, came down the Walk”.

A Bird, came down the Walk -

He did not know I saw -

He bit an Angleworm in halves

And ate the fellow, raw.

In this poem, the simple act of a bird eating a worm is laden with multiple layers of meaning. On one level, it's a straightforward depiction of a natural event; on another, it serves as a metaphor for the brutality and indifference of nature, or perhaps the vulnerability of being. The poem has a capacity to be read in multiple ways, each layer of interpretation adding depth to our understanding of the natural world and our place within it.

Another example is in “My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun”, although previously mentioned but worth revisiting for its metaphorical complexity.

Here, the metaphor of life as a 'Loaded Gun' teems with ambiguity. It could signify potential energy, power, danger, or the capacity for explosive action. 

5. Indeterminate Value Judgments

Empson's fifth category of ambiguity focuses on instances where the language in a text creates uncertainty regarding the author's moral or evaluative stance. This type of ambiguity engages the reader to grapple with their own moral frameworks and assumptions. Emily Dickinson's poetry frequently employs this form of ambiguity, leaving the reader to ponder the deeper ethical and existential implications of her work.

One compelling example of indeterminate value judgement in Emily's poetry can be found in "I heard a Fly buzz – when I died –".

I heard a Fly buzz – when I died –

The Stillness in the Room

Was like the Stillness in the Air –

Between the Heaves of Storm –

In this poem, the juxtaposition of the mundane (a fly buzzing) with the momentous (the poet's death) is quite interesting. Emily's portrayal does not clearly signal whether this moment should be viewed with solemnity, indifference, or even as a critique of the human need to find meaning in death. The ambiguity forces readers to confront their own feelings about mortality.

Another example can be found in "The Brain – is wider than the Sky –", where Emily talks about the capacity of the human mind.

The Brain – is wider than the Sky –

For – put them side by side –

The one the other will contain

With ease – and You – beside –

Here, the ambiguity lies in Emily's evaluation of the human mind in relation to the vastness of the sky, and by extension, the universe. Is this a celebration of human potential and imagination, or is it a subtle critique of human arrogance? The poem leaves open the question of value for readers to reflect on the power and limitations of human cognition and our place within the cosmos.

6. Emotional Ambiguity

Empson's sixth category addresses the ambiguity of emotional responses elicited by a text, where the language used prompts a range of potential feelings in the reader, often simultaneously or in rapid succession. This type of ambiguity engages the reader's emotional intelligence and develops a deeply personal interaction with the text. 

Emily’s poems often evoke a spectrum of emotions, reflecting the inherent contradictions and complexities of the human heart.

In "After great pain, a formal feeling comes –", Emily captures the paradoxical nature of emotional responses to trauma.

After great pain, a formal feeling comes –

The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs –

The stiff Heart questions was it He, that bore,

And Yesterday, or Centuries before?

This poem delves into the aftermath of profound suffering, describing a state of emotional numbness and detachment that can follow intense pain. The ambiguity here lies in the emotional state being described—is it relief, resignation, a defence mechanism, or a profound transformation? 

Emily's language allows the poem to be felt and interpreted in multiple ways.

Another poignant example is found in "The Heart asks Pleasure – first –", where Emily discusses the desires of the heart.

The Heart asks Pleasure – first –

And then – excuse from Pain –

And then – those little Anodynes

That deaden suffering –

The ambiguity of emotional desire expressed in these lines speaks to the heart's complex and confused yearnings for joy, for relief from pain, and for the means to endure suffering. 

Emily's treatment of these desires presents an ambiguity not just in the heart's capacity for pleasure and pain, but in the suggestion that pleasure, pain, and the need for solace are all inevitably linked. 

7. The Blurring of Subject and Object

The seventh and final category in Empson's exploration of ambiguity concerns the blurring of boundaries between the subject and the object within a text. This type of ambiguity occurs when the identity of the speaker, the subject of the discourse, and the object being referred to become indistinct. 

An example that I can think of for this can be found in Emily's "I’m Nobody! Who are you?", where she engages directly with the reader.

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!

In this poem, the distinction between the speaker ('I') and the addressed ('you') becomes ambiguous. Emily creates a bond with the reader, merging identities through the shared experience of being "Nobody." 

Another example of this ambiguity is seen in "This is my letter to the World".

This is my letter to the World

That never wrote to Me –

The simple News that Nature told –

With tender Majesty

Here, Emily blurs the lines between herself (the subject) and the world (the object), engaging in a one-sided correspondence where the act of writing and the act of nature’s disclosure becomes one and the same. 

The poem suggests a deep interconnectedness between the self and the world, where communication and understanding flow in complex, often unacknowledged ways. The ambiguity of who is addressing whom, and the merging of personal expression with the universal makes you ponder your own relationship with the world and the ways in which we are all both subjects and objects within our narratives.

Notes

I would like to end this article by sharing some short notes on ambiguity. 

Ambiguity is not an obstacle to clarity. It is a gateway to depth and richness of meaning. Where language does not confine but liberates, offering many pathways through which we can navigate our thoughts and emotions. 

It reminds us of the inherent limitations of language to fully encapsulate the complexities of reality, yet paradoxically, it also demonstrates language's unique power to evoke, suggest, and inspire. 

Through ambiguity, language transcends its literal confines, becoming a vessel for the expression of the inexpressible, the articulation of the ineffable.

Ambiguity is inherently collaborative in nature. It demands our participation. Each encounter with a text becomes a dialogue, a meeting of minds across time and space, where the meanings unearthed are as much a product of our own perspectives and experiences as they are of the author's intent. In this way, ambiguity creates a deeper, more personal connection with literature.

Our lives, like the language we use to describe them, are replete with ambiguity, with moments and experiences that defy simple categorisation or understanding. The acceptance ambiguity in literature thus mirrors our broader acceptance of uncertainty in life, encouraging an openness to the multitude of possibilities that exist within and around us.

The beauty of ambiguity lies not in its ability to obscure but in its power to reveal. It is thus necessary that we do not approach ambiguity with trepidation but rather with a sense of curiosity. For ambiguity,  it is not so much a barrier to understanding as it is a bridge to deeper insight.

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