Tell the truth but tell it slant: How is Dickinson's poem fresh?

1. Definite meter.

2. Abab rhyme scheme is easy to follow and has an almost musical quality.

3. Emphasis on certain words. (Capitalized.)

4. She does not use traditional punctuation, so a reader must determine how to read it if they haven't read it before.

5. Alliterative use of the "s" sound causes a sort of hissing quality. This sound is associated with snakes, and as a result, deception.

6. The word slant has a naturally unappealing sound to the English speaking ear. Most "sl" words are unsavory: Slug, slip, slime, sludge.