Essay on Emily Dickinson's Wild nights- Wild nights!

 

Wild nights- Wild nights!

 Wild nights - Wild nights! (269) by Emily Dickinson 

 Wild nights — Wild nights! 

 Were I with thee Wild nights should be

 Our luxury!

 Futile — the winds —

 To a Heart in port —

 Done with the Compass — 

 Done with the Chart!

 Rowing in Eden — 

Ah — the Sea!

 Might I but moor —

 tonight —

 In thee!

Analysis:

Emily Dickinson a rebel, her work clearly depicts deliberate distancing of herself from the traditional form of poetry, either in the way of using elliptical language or pithy verses, or in the form of her deviation from the general rules of Punctuation or Capitalization; all confirms her stance as a nonconformist. Emily Dickson rather introduced a new trend to American Modern Poetry followed by numerous disciples popularly known as Dickinsonians poets. It would not be wrong if one  say Dickinson is a “precursor” of Imagism in American Poetry. (Munich, Bradshaw).

Dickinson’s poem Wild nights-Wild nights is a perfect example of diversions not only in Dickinson’s themes but also in also structure, rhetoric and form. An attempt to analyze this poem in detail would be a humble try. The very first line of the poem
“Wild nights-Wild nights!”


suggesting this poem as an erotic one about love, passion and desire; however, I interpret these wild nights in quite a different way as these are nights where the poet’s mind is engulfed with wild thoughts or rough poetic inspirations. The word “Wild” is capitalized so as to put more emphasis on the word “Wild” than on the word nights. Literal meaning of the world wild is untamed or uncivilized. As discussed before Emily Dickinson is averse of the conventional form of poetry be it subject, form or punctuation rules. Her views are anti conventional so “Wild nights” here refers to those nights where she gets wild with anti-conventional overflowing ideas which fuel her passion to write more poetry.

“Wild nights-Wild nights! / Were I with thee”

 The word “thee” apparently refers to a lover whom Emily wishes to spend the night with; her companion. However, according in the context of my interpretation, “thee” here refers to the Poetry or the procedure of creating poetry. Emily Dickinson as it appears to me treating Poetry as her best companion to spend a passionate night with. “Luxury” by employing this word Emily emphasizes that it is not easily accessible to her. Another meaning of luxury is grandeur, so I think Emily here referring the night of wild inspirations where she is winged with “her wings of poesy” (ode to Nightingale, Keats) a luxury; a grand affair!

The tone in the second stanza changes with the imagery of port and winds. What I figure out from these Tlines is that Emily employed the word “Futile” for her poetry which is not very productive as the opposing “winds” are not letting her into the depth of sea and her “Heart in port”. Heart stands for the love and according to my interpretation it is referring for the poetry itself which is close to poet’s heart; it is her love. It is inferred that Poet is anxious about her poetic progress as she wishes to go against the tides and the winds into the depths of Poetry; however she is still stuck on the port, as the opposing winds are making all her attempts futile and meaningless. “the winds” what I deduce are the prevailing ideas, trends or conventions in the society to which Emily confronts. So these existing conventions and trends are what making Emily’s poetry “futile” and she finds her poetry stagnant, stuck in a port.


“Done with the Compass-/Done with the Chart”

These above lines reflect Emily’s determination that she is done with direction and the procedure. It means that Emily knows her direction and the way and she is all set for sailing into the deep sea of poetry.

In the final stanza Emily refers sailing in the deepest sea of Poetry as the most pleasurable experience, as if she is “Rowing in Eden”. Emily expresses her utter satisfaction by employing the word “ah” she is absolutely content in sailing in the sea of Poetry. Sea according to the interpretation I have drawn is the world of poetry. The last two lines are difficult to elucidate what I think is that Emily is asking  may I be part of you Poetry just like what sea is to moor for tonight, come and embrace me O Poetry.