Critical Analysis of Dickinson's Poetic Works (1861–1862)

Critical Commentary on "Wild nights – Wild nights!" (1861, Franklin 269). "Wild nights – Wild nights!" stands as one of Emily Dickinson's most passionate expressions of emotional and romantic longing. The repetition of the opening line "Wild nights – Wild nights!" combined with the terminal exclamation mark creates an emphatic declaration of intense yearning for complete emotional abandonment. In characteristic Dickinsonian fashion, however, the beloved object of this intense devotion remains physically absent, existing purely within the speaker's imagination. The second line, "Were I with thee," introduces the subjunctive mood—a frequent grammatical feature in Dickinson's poetry—to project the wished-for emotional union into an indefinite future.

Nautical Imagery and Edenic Innocence. In the second stanza, the speaker imaginatively leaps into the moment of union, employing maritime metaphors to convey stability and absorption. The "Heart" is depicted as being "in port," wholly oblivious to the wild "winds" swirling outside its protected mooring. This complete immersion in the object of desire leads to the declaration that they are "Done" with the "Compass" and the "Chart," signaling a transcendence beyond familiar boundaries. In the third stanza, the poem introduces dynamic language with the verb "Rowing" to describe the intimate interaction between the lovers. However, the speaker immediately frames this intimacy as taking place "in Eden," imbuing the experience with primordial innocence. The concluding line returns to the subjunctive mood through the word might, reminding the reader that this profound closeness, while intensely anticipated, remains an imagined prospect.

For Discussion or Writing: "Wild nights – Wild nights!"

• 1st point: Construct two opposing interpretations of the poem: one arguing that the speaker maintains an appearance of innocence to frame a discussion of romantic desire, and another arguing that the poem serves as an allegory for spiritual union with Jesus (compare with "Come slowly – Eden!" [Franklin 205]).
• 2nd point: Analyze how Dickinson's synthesis of passionate and religious motifs compares to Walt Whitman's integration of body and spirit in "I Sing the Body Electric".
• 3rd point: Examine the grammatical role of the subjunctive case in this poem and evaluate how Dickinson employs similar structures in "I never felt at Home – Below –" (Franklin 437) or "The Poets light but Lamps –" (Franklin 930).

Critical Commentary on "I like to see it lap the Miles – " (1862, Franklin 383). "I like to see it lap the Miles – " was written around 1862 and reflects the growing cultural impact of the American railway. Dickinson's interest in industrial machinery was directly influenced by her father, Edward Dickinson, who played a key role in bringing the first rail line to Amherst in 1853. Edward Dickinson viewed the railroad as a pivotal economic event that would integrate Amherst into the nation's broader scientific and cultural advancement, calling its advent "one of two great eras in the history of Amherst" alongside the founding of Amherst College.

Industrial Power and Sacred Imagery. The poem describes the movement of the locomotive using animalistic metaphors, contrasting catlike agility with the raw mechanical power required to traverse valleys and mountains. The train links the modest "Shanties" of laborers with the "Quarry" supplying marble for national monuments. In the third stanza, the emergence of the engine from the quarry evokes the birth of an industrial force that must "crawl between / Complain-ing all the while / In horrid – hooting stanza –" (lines 8–12). The final stanzas transform the unpredictable, catlike entity into a controlled horse stopping "docile and omnipotent / At it's [sic] own stable door –" (lines 16–17). By referencing a "Star" that stops at a "stable," alongside the term Boanerges ("sons of thunder," referencing the apostles James and John), Dickinson connects mechanical technological innovation with divine authority.

For Discussion or Writing: "I like to see it lap the Miles – "

• 1st point: Evaluate how the poem reflects 19th-century American Romantic optimism regarding technological progress and the integration of machinery into the natural landscape.
• 2nd point: Consider whether the poem satirizes the cultural idealization of railroads, assessing if the biblical allusions critique society's tendency to attribute spiritual authority to mechanical inventions.
• 3rd point: Analyze the poem as a commentary on the displacement of human labor by autonomous machines, paying particular attention to the use of the term supercilious in the second stanza.

Critical Commentary on "The Soul selects her own Society – " (1862, Franklin 409). "The Soul selects her own Society – " is frequently interpreted as an expression of social exclusivity and class distinction. Biographical readings often point to Dickinson's position within an affluent, prominent family, which provided her with domestic support and the security needed to live an autonomous, solitary life. The opening stanza describes the "Soul" as selecting her companion and shutting the door against all others, establishing an uncompromising boundary.

Democratic Critique and Solitary Sovereignity. The second stanza reinforces this sense of detachment as the Soul remains "Unmoved" by external authority, remaining indifferent even when "an Emperor . . . kneeling / Opon [sic] her Mat" presents himself (lines 7–8). In the final stanza, the Soul narrows her focus further by choosing a single individual "from an ample nation" and closing the "Valves of her attention / Like Stone" (lines 9–12). While this choice can be read as an aristocratic rejection of democratic equality, alternative readings suggest a critique of economic privilege. From this perspective, the speaker remains distinct from the Soul, exposing the extreme indifference required to wall oneself off from society behind stone valves.

For Discussion or Writing: "The Soul selects her own Society – "
1st point: Contrast this poem with Dickinson's "The Soul should always stand ajar" (Franklin 1,017), analyzing how the opposing stances on openness affect the interpretation of spiritual exclusivity.

2nd point: Draft an analysis demonstrating how the poem successfully supports two divergent interpretations: one that validates spiritual self-reliance and one that critiques the cold indifference of privileged isolation.