1. The Soul Selects Her Own Society

2. The Divine is Mine

• NOTICE: All of Emily’s poems are free to interpretation. If you or a loved one strongly feel different about any of the poems about to be read, feel free to do so.

The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door;On her divine majorityObtrude no more.

Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausingAt her low gate;Unmoved, an emperor is kneelingUpon her mat.

I've known her from an ample nationChoose one;Then close the valves of her attentionLike stone.

• The Soul Selects Her Own Society – Soul

- different for each person

» Your own self

– Society• Different sections,

groups, and cultures found in everyday life

The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door;On her divine majorityObtrude no more.

Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausingAt her low gate;Unmoved, an emperor is kneelingUpon her mat.

I've known her from an ample nationChoose one;Then close the valves of her attentionLike stone.

3 Stanzas

12 Lines

4 lines per Stanza

3 quatrains

(4 lined poems)

Rhyme Scheme:

ABAB

CDCD

EFEF

• Contains no internal rhyme• Eye rhyme: stone and one • Exact Rhyme: door and more• Slant rhyme: society and majority,

gate and mat

LINES : The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door; On her divine majority Obtrude no more.

MEANING: The person, in order to be true to herself, chooses one place/life style out of an infinite amount to call her own and gives up everything else.

LINES: Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausing At her low gate; Unmoved, an emperor is kneeling Upon her mat.

• MEANING: She sees temptations (chariots) that try to make her change her mind about her decision. Someone (emperor) important to her tries to persuade her to change her mind.

LINES: I've known her from an ample nation Choose one; Then close the valves of her attention Like stone.

• MEANING: The speaker has known this person (soul) before (they are possibly the same person) and she has decided to stick with their decision and become close minded about the situation.

• Valves- referring to closing her mind or heart

SPEAKER: A woman talking about her soul or a person talking about a close friend (open to interpretation)

-sounds like Emily’s choice to stay away form people

and stay in her house

Mood: A story shared/pensiveKey Words: I've known her (remembering), Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausing ( slow Paced and steady)

The rhythm of the poem is slowadding to the pensiveness of the mood.

• Entire Poem- personification of a soul • Alliteration- The soul selects her own

society• Symbolism- Emily’s reclusive nature, line

7: the emperor= someone of great importance or status to the speaker, line 11 “valves of her attention”= closing of the mind or heart

• Repetition: Unmoved- lines 5 and 7• Imagery: first 2 stanzas

The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door;On her divine majorityObtrude no more.

Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausingAt her low gate;Unmoved, an emperor is kneelingUpon her mat.

I've known her from an ample nationChoose one;Then close the valves of her attentionLike stone.

Lines 10 and 12 reinforce the meaning that the soul can only choose one path and there is no going back.

• As the poem progresses it becomes more personal and finalized, following the flow of a story.

• Changing Rhythm

The divine — is mine! The Wife — without the Sign! Acute Degree — conferred on me — Empress of Calvary! Royal — all but the Crown! Betrothed — without the swoon God sends us Women — When you — hold— Garnet to Garnet —Gold — to Gold —Born — Bridalled — Shrouded — In a Day — Tri Victory"My Husband" — women say — Stroking the Melody — Is this — the way?

1

5

15

10

• The Divine is MineDivine- Something godly

-The speaker proclaims that she has ownership of what is divine

The divine — is mine! The Wife — without the Sign! Acute Degree — conferred on

me — Empress of Calvary! Royal — all but the Crown! Betrothed — without the swoon God sends us Women — When you — hold— Garnet to

Garnet —Gold — to Gold —Born — Bridalled — Shrouded — In a Day — Tri Victory"My Husband" — women say — Stroking the Melody — Is this — the way?

Free Form 15 lines Rhyme Scheme:

ABACCDEFGHIHJKLMNLOL

Many, many dashes

• Internal Rhyme: Divine and mine, Degree and me

• Exact Rhyme: Say, Way, and Day• Slant Rhyme: Mine and Sign• Not much of a rhyme scheme

The divine — is mine! The Wife — without the

Sign! Acute Degree —

conferred on me — Empress of Calvary! Royal — all but the

Crown! Betrothed — without the

swoon

Meaning

• The speaker is saying that many women marry just to say they are married and to have the feeling of purpose which comes with marriage. Emily says that she already has this purpose without marriage.

Lines:

God sends us Women — When you — hold— Garnet to Garnet —Gold — to Gold —Born — Bridalled — Shrouded — In a Day — Tri Victory"My Husband" — women say — Stroking the Melody — Is this — the way?

Meaning

• Esp. in religion a woman’s main reason for life is marriage. From the day she is born, she is limited to a certain type of life. These women are depended on their husbands but Emily believes there is a different way to live.

• Speaker: A woman to women in general• Based on Emily’s beliefs

• Mood: Defiant and mocking– Key words: conferred on me, Empress of

Calvary!, Born — Bridalled — Shrouded In a Day, Tri Victory

– Almost sarcasm

• Metaphor: Empress of Calvary!• Imagery: When you — hold— Garnet to Garnet —

Gold — to Gold —Born — Bridalled — Shrouded —

• Repetition- Garnet to Garnet —

Gold — to Gold —

• The speaker is trying to share her views in a mocking and fun way.

• Rhythm is broken up with hyphens to make certain words stand out.