Dickinson, who is thought to have had several romantic relationships, never married but wrote many poems about marriage. During that time period it was important for a woman to marry because women did not have many rights. In the poem “The Soul Selects her own Society,” Dickinson describes that once a soulmate is found, there is no one else a girl would marry. The idea of marriage is described in a positive manner, which changes in the poem “I Gave Myself to Him,” which portrays marriage as a contract that makes women property to their husbands. The poem is mostly negative towards marriage but, does point out that marriage can be mutually beneficial arguing but it is a risk. Those poems come together in “I'm wife, I've finished that,”
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To begin the poem, Dickson states that “The Soul selects her own Society”(1) meaning that her soul determines her companionship. Then just as quickly as the soul “selects”(1) people, it shuts the people out(2). The focus in this poem is that the soul selects one soulmate and once a soul mate is selected, no one else matters. Dickinson signifies that this is the focus by rhyming, “Door” (2), and “more”(4), in the first stanza. She does this in several of her other poems as well. Dickinson transitions into the next stanza stating that her soul does not mind that her “doors”(2) are closed and her soulmate is gone (3-6). She uses words such as “Chariots”(5), “Emperor”(7), and “kneeling”(7), to signify that she has status. Dickinson then goes to say, “At her low gate”(6), which can be interpreted to mean there is a small amount of people permitted to be in her companionship. In the third and final stanza, the author/character states that she knows her soul and that out of all the “ample nation”(9), or “fish in the sea” per say, she has to “Choose one”(10). After the soul makes her choice, her “Valves”(11) “Close” and there is no one else that the character gives her attention to. Her attention is like a “Stone”(12) given only to her soul
To begin the poem, Dickson states that “The Soul selects her own Society”(1) meaning that her soul determines her companionship. Then just as quickly as the soul “selects”(1) people, it shuts the people out(2). The focus in this poem is that the soul selects one soulmate and once a soul mate is selected, no one else matters. Dickinson signifies that this is the focus by rhyming, “Door” (2), and “more”(4), in the first stanza. She does this in several of her other poems as well. Dickinson transitions into the next stanza stating that her soul does not mind that her “doors”(2) are closed and her soulmate is gone (3-6). She uses words such as “Chariots”(5), “Emperor”(7), and “kneeling”(7), to signify that she has status. Dickinson then goes to say, “At her low gate”(6), which can be interpreted to mean there is a small amount of people permitted to be in her companionship. In the third and final stanza, the author/character states that she knows her soul and that out of all the “ample nation”(9), or “fish in the sea” per say, she has to “Choose one”(10). After the soul makes her choice, her “Valves”(11) “Close” and there is no one else that the character gives her attention to. Her attention is like a “Stone”(12) given only to her soul