University of Novi Sad Faculty of Philosophy Department of English Language and Literature April, 2 !

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#$# %entury American Literature Emily Dic&inson's Poems( )heme of Love

Professor mr Nata*a +aranfilovi,

Student Sofi-a Popovi,

Popovi, 2

$ntroduction $n !./2" Emily Dic&inson 0rote a letter, in 0hich she enclosed four poems, to )homas 1ent0orth 2igginson, a noted literary critic 0ho pu3lished an article 4Letter to a 5oung %ontru3utor6 in 0hich he gave advice to young 0riters, and as&ed him 4Are you too deeply occupied to say if my 7erse is alive86 2igginson praised Dic&inson's poems 3ut advised her not to pu3lish her poetry 3ecause her style and form 0ere unconventional" 2igginson soon 3ecame Dic&inson's mentor and gave her guidelines for her poetry 3ut during her lifetime, Dic&inson pu3lished only several poems" Soon after her death, ho0ever, around eight hundred poems 0ere pu3lished and it 0as clear that Emily Dic&inson 0as, if nothing else, very passionate 0hen it came to 0riting poetry 9Pic&ard, !:;<" Emily Dic&inson's poems 0ere classified 3y some editors in various categories such as 4=eligion,6 4Nature,6 4Love,6 4Death6 and others" 2o0ever, even though some critics 3elieve that her poems should 3e read chronologically it is certain that poems could 3e identified 0ith certain themes and thus classified 3ased on these themes that are found in her poems 9Pacic, 2 ><" $t is very li&ely that Dic&inson's poetry gre0 from her personal e?perience and that this 0as a 0ay for her to e?press her deepest emotions and thoughts" As Dic&inson 0as @uite religious it is no 0onder that there are many poems a3out %hristianity and Aod and in some of her love poems it is not for sure if she is e?pressing her love for an actual lover or Aod himself" Be that as it may, at one point of her life Dic&inson stopped going to church and started satiriCing %hristian dogmas" At one point of her life, the poet started isolating herself and she emphasiCed her isolation 3y dressing in 0hite" )his seclusion is @uite notica3le in poems in 0hich she 0rites a3out forgetting a lover or a3out her 3ro&en heart" )he death of her father, and later, an une?pected death of her nephe0 led to an a3solute seclusion and these deaths 0ere pro3a3ly an inspiraton for a certain dar& note in her poetry 9Pic&ard, ; :D2<" Besides the themes mentioned a3ove, the theme of love is also @uite eminent in Dic&inson's poems" Biographers have tried to find the source of this passion and intensity that is found in her poems 3ut there is an enigma 0hen it comes to her love life" )hey have 0ondered ho0 she met these men, 0as the love reciprocated and ho0 strong the feelings 0ere" $t is clear that Dic&inson had several passionate relationships 3ut these relationships never developed into something more and Dic&inson remained unmarried" Dic&inson didn't have so many people in her life 3esides her family mem3ers 3ut these people 0ith 0hom she did have a certain relationship 0ere very close to her" $t seems that she 0as al0ays in a need

Popovi, ; for one close person 0ho 0ould 3e her confidant, 0ho 0ould &eep her in touch 0ith reality and finally 0ho 0ould 3e an inspiraton for her poetry 9Pacic, 2 ;<" Love sometimes made Emily Di&inson feel an amaCing rush of passion, sometimes it led to an e?hilarating feeling 0hile 0aiting for her 3eloved and sometimes it led to a strong sence of deprivation or even death" $t is @uite clear that 0hen this poet 0ould choose her o3-ect of affection she 0ould e?press deep devotion and use him as an inspiraton" Anticipation of a lover Ene of the poems in 0hich Dic&inson 0rites a3out her loved one 0ho is a0ay from her is 4$f you 0ere coming in the fall"6 $n this poem, it is clear that the distance from her lover doesn't represent an o3stacle for her feelings and that she is very eager to meet 0ith him" $t is clear that a 0oman and not a man is 0aiting for her loved one 3ecause she refers to herself as a house0ife in first stanCa" She is saying that for her it is not a pro3lem to 0ait for a season to pass until her lover comes" She 0ould simply chase the summer a0ay li&e a fly and she 0ould do it 0ith 4a smile and a spurn6 93artle3y"com< 0hich says that she is proud to do it and doesn't mind 0aiting" $n second stanCa gradation appears and one season 3ecomes a year" 2o0ever, even this is not a pro3lem for she 0ill simply 40ind the months in 3alls and put them each in separate dra0ers6 93artle3y"com< and ma&e it easier for her to 3are the length of time and -ust 0ait until it is time for them to meet" She diminishes a year to months and ma&es it easier for herself to count until the moment 0hen they meet" $n third stanCa a year 3ecomes not one, 3ut more centuries 0hich she can count on her hand" She is also saying that her lover is only lingering 3ut that he 0ill certanly come" She is also mentioning 47an Diemen's land!6 93artle3y"com< and it is pro3a3le that this means that he is far a0ay" $n forth stanCa, time is not limited to months or years anymore 3ut it 3ecomes eternity, 0hich means that she 0ould pro3a3ly 0ait for him forever" She is implying that she doesn't mind dying and casting her life a0ay if that means that she 0ill 3e 0ith him" She is saying that she 0ould toss a0ay her life 4li&e a rind,693artle3y"com< that is li&e something that is not important to her"

7an Diemen's Land 0as the original name used 3y most Europeans for the island of )asmania, no0 part of Australia 90i&ipedia"com<"

Popovi, D 1hile the first four stanCas 3egin 0ith 4$f6 0hich implies something hypothetical and something that is no more than only a possi3ility the final stanCa 3egins 0ith 4But no0,6 0hich means that she is coming 3ac& to reality and she is not sure anymore for ho0 long she 0ill have to 0ait for her lover" Even more, she is not sure 0ill they meet at all and 0ill he even come" )he time is annoying her li&e a 4go3lin 3ee6 93artle3y"com< 0hich represents something 3ad, something evil" )his 4go3lin 3ee6 is not 4stating its sting6 93artle3y"com< and this is saying that she is very uncertain and she acutally doesn't &no0 0hat 0ill happen in the future" Another poem in 0hich the lovers are separated is 41hat if $ say $ shall not 0ait86 3ut in this poem it seems that the lovers are not a0ay from each other 3y their o0n 0ill or -ust simple physical distance 3ut they are forsed to 3e apart 3y others" )he 4$6 of this poem is very eager to see her lover and she 0ill 3rea& free 3y forse if it is needed from those 0ho are &eeping her" $t seems as she is actually threating that she 0ill escape and she is as&ing her lover 0hat 0ill happen if she manages to escape and come to him" She is saying that she 0ill 3rea& do0n the gates that are confining her, that she 0ill flee a0ay from the guard and that she 0ill 3e free to come to her loved one" $n the second stanCa she is saying that no0 0hen they are together no one can separate them anymore" )he guard may call her and the guns may 3eg her to come 3ac& 3ut she 0ill not come 3ac&" No0, 0hen they are together, everything is meaningless and unimportant" Passion 1hile in some poems the lovers are separated and far a0ay from each other in others the lovers are together and are en-oying each other not -ust emotionally 3ut physically as 0ell" Ene of the poems in 0hich only a physical relationship is mentioned is 41ild NightsF 1ild NightsF6 )he main theme of this poem is passion 0hich has no rules and is purely sensual 9Pacic, 22 <" 41ild NightsF 1ild NightsF 1ere $ 0ith thee 1ild Nights should 3e Eur lu?uryF6 93artle3y"com< Being that the sea is a sym3ol for a female it is possi3le that the dramatiCed 4$6 is actually a man 9Pacic, 22 <" 2e feels strong lust for the 0oman 0ho he mentions in this poem

Popovi, I and is saying that the nights that they 0ould spend together are a 3liss, 0hich means that for him 3eing 0ith her is an a0arding e?perience and fulfillment $n second stanCa he is implying that there is only one 0ay for them and that is passion" )he 0inds are not successful in getting them of the course and they do not 0ant to follo0 compasses or charts, meaning they do not 0ant to follo0 the rules" $n final stanCa they are going to Eden, meaning that 0hen they are 0ith each other they are in paradise and en-oying themselves fully" 1hile he is refering to her as the sea, he is refering to himself as a 3oat and is as&ing if he could moor himself to her in this night" 4Gy life had stood H a Loaded Aun6 is also a good e?ample of a poem full of passionate feelings" A 0oman is refering to herself as a 4Loaded Aun6 so someone 0ho is full of emotions and someone 0ho is -ust 0aiting to e?press those emotions" But she is so full of these feelings that she 0ill e?plode 0hen the time to e?press them comes" She is calling the love of her life 4)he E0ner6 93artle3y"com< 0hich means that she 3elongs to him and only him" 1hile in the first stanCa it is descri3ed ho0 her lover too& her, in the second stanCa she is telling that they have gone hunting together" 2e is a hunter, so he needs her 4a Loaded Aun6 -ust as 0ell as she needs him" $n third and fourth stanCa she is descri3ing ho0 it feels for her to 3e 0ith him" She is smiling and it is a pleasure to go through 0oods 0ith him" 1hen the day is over and night comes, she 0ill not share the pillo0 0ith him 3ut she 0ill protect him" For her, it is 3etter -ust to stay a0a&e and &eep him safe then to sleep" $n fifth stanCa she is 0arning those 0ho try to hurt him that she is protecting him" She is afraid of losing him and is saying that she 0ill 3e dangerous for all those 0ho are a threat to him" $n the final stanCa she is again 0orried a3out not 3eing 0ith her lover and she is afraid that death 0ill separate them" Because she is a gun, she 0ill live forever and as she &no0s this she also &no0s that she cannot live if the lover dies" 2er life 0ithout him is meaningless and very sad 3ecause she is the one 0ho can end other lives 3ut not her o0n" Seclusion Being as that Dic&inson isolated herself from the society and even her friends it is no 0onder that she 0rote a3out this in her poetry" 4)he Soul selects her o0n society6 is a poem a3out choosing only one person to 3e in poets life and this person is all she needs" She is denying all other people from 3eing in her life, this one person has a privileged position" $n the first stanCa she is saying that 4)he Soul6 is selecting this certain someone, so she, the poet, is not the one 0ho decides, it is something more po0erful then the mind, it is

Popovi, / not a conscious decision" After the soul has named this special person it 4shuths the door6 93artle3y"com< and re-ects all others, no one should empose 3ecause she 0ill not accept anyone else" $n the second stanCa it is descri3ed that others have come to try to enter her soul 3ut she simply doesn't care" She is cold, it is not important for her 0ho came, an 4emperor6 is mentioned 3ut she has already made her selection" $n the last stanCa the soul is 3eing compared to stone, so it is cold and again it is verified that only one person is chosen" After this choice the soul closes herself li&e 4the valves,6 li&e something that that only the soul itself can control, 3ut not the mind" 1hile the previous poem 0as a3out choosing only one person, the poems 42eart, 0e 0ill forget himF6 and 41e outgro0 love li&e other things6 are a3out refusing love in general" $n a very short poem 41e outgro0 love li&e other things6 the poet is denying love and is very negative" She 0ants to put love a0ay, she 40ants to get the love a0ay from her eyes6 3ecause may3e this 0ay she 0on't have to thin& a3out it" She doesn't 0ant to face love and 0ants to forget a3out it" She 0ill remem3er it at some point of her life, 3ut may3e it 0ill 3e to late, may3e there 0ill only 3e nice memories 3ut nothing more" $n 42eart, 0e 0ill forget himF6 the poet is trying to forget her lover 0ho has pro3a3ly 3ro&en her heart" She is urging her heart not to thin& a3out the man 0ho is not hers anymore, she 0ants to stop thin&ing a3out him and all the things he meant to her" 41hen you have done, pray tell me, )hat $ my thoughts may dim, 2asteF Lest 0hile you're lagging, $ may remem3er himF6 93artle3y"com< $n second and final stanCa she is 3egging her heart to hurry up and 0hen he is no longer in her heart he 0ill also 3e a0ay from her mind" All emotions are in her heart and as soon as he is a0ay from the heart, he 0ill 3e a0ay from her mind and she 0ill stop remem3ering him" )he chosen one as a heavenly 3eing Because faith and religion 0ere very important for Emily Dic&inson it is not strange that in some of her poems she 0rote a3out the love she felt for Aod" Some times it is hard to distinguish 0hether she 0as 0riting a3out the love that she feels for a man 0ho is a human 3eing or Aod and if she is 0riting a3out her desire to 3e together 0ith a heavenly or an earthly 3eing"

Popovi, J )0o poems already mentioned are am3iguous 0hen it comes to clearly stating to 0hom they are dedicated" $n the poem 4)he Soul selects her o0n society6 it is possi3le that the poet choses Aod and that she is only letting 2im into her heart" Some critics 3elieve that this isolation from everyone else 3esides this 4Ene6 means is an isolation into a convent and that 4Ene6 actually represents %hrist" $n this poem no physical love is mentioned, there is -ust pure spiritual love that she might feel for a 3eing that is not of this 0orld 9Pacic, 2!><" $t is possi3le that the poem 41hat if $ say $ shall not 0ait86 is also dedicated to Aod and that it is Aod 0ho she is trying to reach" She mentiones 4mortal6 and this may mean that she is re-ecting an ordinary man, that she 0ants an undying person for herself" She also mentiones laughter and laces and she says that these things don't matter to her, that these earthly actions and things don't have any improtance for her" 1hile in some poems there is am3iguity, in the poem 4)itle divine is mineF6 it is o3vious that Dic&inson 0ants to 3e the 3ride of %hrist" She is claiming that this title is already hers, she is claiming that she 0ill 3e 2is 0ife and that this has already 3een arranged" She is calling herself the 4Empress of %alvary6 93artle3y"com<, and %alvary is another name for Aolgota, a hill on 0hich %hrist 0as crucified 90i&ipedia"com< and she is also refering to herself as 4royal"6 She doesn't need signs to 3e the 0ife of %hrist, she doesn't need a cro0n, 3ecause %hrist is from a royal line 3ut he had no mar&ings of royalty" According to her, it is 0omans purpose to 3e someones 3ride" A 0oman is 4Born:Bridalled:Shrouded6 93artle3y"com<, she is supposed to 3e married and after she that has happened, she 3elongs only to her hus3and" And 0omen accept this, for them to 3e 3orn, married and to 3elong to only one man is 4)ri 7ictory6 93artle3y"com<, 0omen sing 0hen they say 4Gy 2us3and6 93artle3y"com<" Even though this poem has a very positive tone, in the end the poet as&s herself 4$s this the 0ay86 93artle3y"com<, so she is @uestioning not only hers, 3ut the choice of every 0oman in the 0orld" 2ave they chosen right 3y choosing to 3e some3odys 0ife8 4A solemn thing it 0as, $ said6 is another poem a3out marriage 0ith a heavenly creature" $n first stanCa she is refering to herself as a 3ride, she is mentioning colour 0hite 0hich is the colour of a 3rides:to:3e dress" But she is also 0ondering if she is the right person to 3e the 3ride of %hrist" For her it is scary to renounce her mortal life and -oin %hrist in eternity" She is s0itching the 0hite colour 0ith the purple one, and the colour purple represents royalty" She is dressing herself in this colour and this is verifying that she is choosing %hrist" She is afraid 3ecause 3eing a 3ride, and especially %hrists 3ride is not a trivial thing"

Popovi, . %onclusion $n another letter to 2igginson Emily Dic&inson 0hote( 4 5ou as& me of my %ompanions" 2ills H Sir H and the Sundo0n H and a Dog H large as myself, that my Father 3ought me" )hey are 3etter than Beings H 3ecause they &no0 H 3ud to not tell H and the nise in the Pool at Noon H e?cels my Piano62 9Pacic, 2 I<" Even though Emily Dic&inson 0rote 0hile she 0as all alone she 0as a3le to 3e very elo@uent 0hen it came to 0riting a3out not -ust love, 3ut a3out Aod, life and sadness as 0ell" She could easily find inspiration in everything that surrounded her" She understood love and everything that comes 0ith love" She understood the -oy of 3eing together 0ith that person that is more important then air itself" She &ne0 ho0 it felt to 3e far a0ay from that person and the feeling that the s0eet unification 0ould 3ring" She could also feel the meaning of loneliness from her o0n e?perience or the fulfillment one 0ould e?perience 0hen feeling the love for Aod" Even though Dic&inson had nothing more then platonic relationships 0ith the men 0ho found themselves in her life she could understand passion and even lust one could feel for another human 3eing" She understood 0hat love can give and ta&e a0ay from people" She understood the importance of love in hers and other peoples lives"

=eference(
2

Emily Dic&inson, 4Letters6 Ga-or 1riters of America, Perry Giller et al", eds", Ne0 5or&, !>/2", p";>"

Popovi, > Pacic, Bran&ica" )he Big )en Ga-or Nineteenth %entury American 1riters, UniverCitet u Nisu, Nis, !>>!" Pic&ard, Kohn" An $ntroduction and $nterpretation of Emily Dic&inson, 2olt, =inehart and 1inston, Ne0 5or&, !>J/" Availa3le at 000"3artle3y"com last visited April 2>, 2 ! Availa3le at 000"0i&ipedia"com last visited April 2>, 2 !