Seclusion -- Dickinson 409

I was struck by the opulence of language in the 409 Dickinson poem. Phrases like "divine Majority," "Chariots," "Emperor" and "Ample Nation." "The Soul Selects her own Society" suggests exclusivity, discernment and knowing exactly what one wants. On the other hand, it also suggests loneliness, a judgmental attitude and an unforgiving nature.

The Soul selects her Society—
Then—shuts the Door—
To her divine Majority—
Present no more—

Unmoved—she notes the Chariots—pausing—
At her low Gate—
Unmoved—an Emperor be Kneeling
Upon her Mat—

I’ve known her—form an ample nation—
Choose One—
Then—close the Valves of her attention—
Like stone—




It's hard not to think about Dickinson's reclusive life when reading a poem about "[shutting the door]" and "[closing the Valves of attention]." But in both of those sentences, the speaker seems to have complete agency and control over the company she keeps close to her heart.

Of course, I don't want to delve too deeply into what Dickinson may or may not have been thinking, as that distracts from the poem itself. As Onno brought up in class on Tuesday, the tendency to "diagnose" Emily Dickinson when reading her is troubling. To me, it seems to reflect one more difference between perceptions of male and female artists. Where "troubled" male artists tend to be seen as visionaries or heroic in their madness ( i.e. Hemingway), women artists are sometimes disregarded as neurotic or hysterical. Dickinson's seclusion, based on this poem, doesn't seem rooted in agoraphobia or shyness or what have you. It seems rooted in high standards for the "Society" of her soul.