The Soul selects her own Society By: Emily Dickinson by Trian Nguyen (Student FVHS)

What is the poem’s tone? Which words reveal this tone? Is the poem ironic?

tbnguyen120_ — 2024-02-16 21:34:38 UTC

The tone of the poem is very ominous and unwavering. Throughout the poem we see a soul turning away important/powerful figures, society, nation, emperor, and majority. She uses posties adjectives to describe the figures like ample and divine yet remains unmoved to their efforts to gain her attention. Even at the end of the poem the speaker refuses to acknowledge these people who so desperately want her attention as she "close[s] the Valves of her attention like stone".

Are there any symbols? What do they mean? Are they universal symbols or do they arise from the context of this poem?

lzchen100_ — 2024-02-16 21:35:27 UTC

Some important symbols used in this poem were valves and stone. Dickinson uses such as symbols when she wrote, "Then-close the valves of her attention-/Like Stone-". The valves were written to represent relationships and the people she allows into her life. By closing the valves, it signifies the author cutting off ties with individuals she knew. Dickinson's use of the word stone is a reference to her closed off and conservative demeanor of which is a result of her recluse behavior.

tbnguyen120_ — 2024-02-16 21:35:30 UTC

What images does the poet use? How do the images relate to one another? Do these images form a unified pattern (a motif) throughout the poem?

tbnguyen120_ — 2024-02-16 21:36:57 UTC

The author, Emily Dickinson, uses images of shutting foors, closing valves of attention, and being unmoved when watching chariots pass. All of these show the speaker ignoring those who want to be apart of her life but shutting them out. All of these images start a pattern of things, such as emperors, majority, nations, chariots who all want to be let into her life. Yet in the end, she continues to ignore them

What is the theme (the central idea) of this poem? Can you state it in a single sentence? Elaborate on your idea.

lzchen100_ — 2024-02-16 21:37:10 UTC

The theme or central idea of this poem is a recluse's perspective of the environment or society around them. When Dickinson begins with, "The soul selects her own society/Then-shuts the Door-", she offers the opinion or thought process of a recluse, being one herself. Through the poem she conveyed that an individual selects the people one wants to surround themselves with, however, once choosing those people, shuts the rest out of their life.

Biographical Analysis

tbnguyen120_ — 2024-02-16 21:37:44 UTC

The majority of her life, Emily Dickinson was a recluse. Refusing to leave her room, this poem represents her thoughts about socializing with others and leaving her room. In the poem the author is unwavering to several attempts to be apart of her life.

tbnguyen120_ — 2024-02-16 21:38:49 UTC

lzchen100_ — 2024-02-16 21:42:30 UTC