I'm "Wife"- I've finished that-
That other state-
I'm Czar-I'm "Woman" now-
It's safer so-
How odd the Girl's life looks-
Behind this soft Eclipse-
I think that earth feels so
To folks in Heaven- now-
This being comfort-then-
That other kind- was pain-
But why compare?
I'm "Wife"! Stop there!
This is a really good example of Emily Dickinson really digging her heels into the side of the proverbial social stallion. The labels and titles given to women ("Wife") and to contrast it to what a woman can never be and a man can ("Czar") demonstrates this with the sharp puncturing dashes, capital letters and exclamation marks at the end. The unequality of man and woman is clearly shown as well by the change the woman goes through from childhood: "girl" to womanhood: "Wife" characterised by an "Eclipse". The sarcasm is very obvious and the last line "I'm "Wife"! Stop there!" almost sounds like a man's voice ordering her.
Not a very upbeat poem, I am sorry... but it is the one I can almost say from the top of my head. Gawd love A-Level English; one of the classes where I felt I really truly learnt the most (she was a great teacher to was Miss Watson!!) See? You can sometime remember what you were taught in school!
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5 comments:
She never married, did she, so being a wife (lower case, no quotation marks)would be for her, a state she did not have intimate knowledge of. Her rejection of "Wife" is of something public, perhaos, of there being no other proper occupation - except governess (cf the Bronte sisters). You may scorn the point as being too masculine - but may there not be a touch of bitterness here , in the realisation that for her even being a wife (lower case, no quotation marks)was denied to her.
No, she did not marry, but what perhaps is most poignant and really more the issue I guess is NOT her ignorance and bitterness towards the married state but, after girlhood there is only marriage, and since she is not married, then what is she? it is about identity. The line "It's safer so" shows that she believed that to have a label, to be 'typical', 'normal', etc. is to be 'safer' and to be more secure of her own identity. She is in flux having never been married and never having a domineering male force in her life as far as I can see, except from her constant issue with her religion/faith, of course dominated by men then.
Many of Dickinson's poems discuss female identity in relation to males and her own identity in accordance to religion, nature, life and love. I think some of her poetry could definitely be grounded in the probability that she might have been thinking of her own identity in a society where first the father dominates and then the husband, but where she has experienced neither. When both are don't exist, the patriachhal system has been undercut. The same, insecure status applied also to widows. They too throughout history have been of unstable status.
Certainly, 'wife' was really the only occupation for a woman out of girlhood, and there is definitely a hint of bitterness and regret, but perhaps the bitterness is well deserved. She has no social identity but that of a spinster and no woman would willingly adopt that title that was often the butt of pity or scorn.
As for your blog, OF, on this poem, I agree with the closing statement that to emulate Dickinson's life would be wrong. Living afterall is supposed to be amongst people, particularly those you love.
Well, I guess I touched something. Dickinson didn't lose her identity. She preserved it in her isolation. And you (and I too) are right that for the rest of us we preserve it in the mix of the common world - and, of course, we don't write the poetry. I didn't comment on your post on her death poem - because the poem stopped me. It is so good.
Why did she cut herself off so? Why didn't she engage? Why did she leave everything for posterity?
I got the feeling (you may not like it) that in front of this great monstrous thing called "Wife" she would have accepted being a wife. There's the hint of an accommodation, there in the poem. It is not all rejection -whatever the personal sadness. And is deeply poignant.
The issue is all in the quotation marks.
OF
XX
oh most definitely she did want to be a wife (you can see this from some of her other poems- i'll try and look them out) and I guess she thought to preserve some sense of an identity she had to become a recluse (not that I agree of course)! But there is a sense of a lack of identity when not a wife and not a girl. It is a shame she was not more of an outgoing person challenging social ideals. I think I really would have admired her then!!
NSP - I don't know Dickinson that well, as I'm sure you've guessed by now. But Beau leaves an interesting comment, and a Dickinson poem, in response to my "Wife" post. It confirms what you say, and about her passion.
OF
XX
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