Physical. Social. Personal.

Physical and social environments and personal relationships are huge contributors to a characters being. Billy Collins demonstrates this throughout his poem Taking Off Emily Dickson’s Clothes. “ You will want to know  that she was standing by an open window in an upstairs bedroom, motionless, a little wide-eyed.” The use of the commas turn the statement into  a more personal relationship instead of it being just simply physical. It creates short breaks that allows the readers to dive into the moment and be a part of the personal and emotional bond. Standing by the open window is her environment and standing “motionless, a little wide eyed” is more of a personal relationship with her emotions. Comparing this to his poem Night Sand, the short length of them poem is what encourages the reader to be a part of this personal and emotional bond. “and tail from the heavy, rhythmic blows.” The comma between “heavy, rhythmic” creates a dramatic pause, that gives the reader that opportunity to intensify that emotional bond.

Additionally Collins continues by saying “The complexity of women’s undergarments in nineteenth-century America is not to be waved off.” From this quote we know that her environment is nineteenth-century America, a time when women weren’t viewed as much more than sexual objects. In my opinion this means that the relationship between the two becomes sexual, this is because he’s talking about her ”undergarments”. However when the poet continues by saying “is not to be waved off.” is almost a contradiction to what the reader first had in mind. The relationship almost becomes respectful; in my opinion she’s being praised for being a woman. Moreover in his poem Night Sands Collins says “I will move off like the slow armadillo over night sand.” This contrasts to the bond he creates in Taking Off Emily Dickson’s Clothes, because now instead of a bond being created, he's detaching himself from one that once existed. This adds on to the personal relationship in a sense of loss.

Furthermore Billy Collins continues by saying “I proceeded like a polar explorer.” The simile emphasizes on the many layers, which could be interpreted as the layers on her body, for example her garments and robes or her emotional layers. As the reader you begin to feel an emotional attachment due to the warm welcome into this intimate atmosphere. According to Grace Mwizero “Environment, whether physical or social, is an umbrella term for the combination of external physical conditions and the complex of social and cultural conditions affecting the nature an individual. Personal relationships refer to close connections between people, formed by emotional bonds and interactions.” This quote strongly relates to the poem Taking Off Emily Dickson’s clothes because the reader is only invited to a personal atmosphere when he’s alone with her. However the environment does affect the nature of the individual, foe example the environment being 19th Century America affects Billy Collin’s way of looking at her. She’s more of a sexual figure.

To conclude I believe that characters in works of literature are at their most vivd when formed by physical and social environment as much as by personal relationships. Billy Collins shows this throughout both is poems Taking off Emily Dickson’s Clothes and Night Sands.