The Soul selects her own Society by Emily Dickinson

‘The soul selects her own Society’ by Emily Dickinson emphasizes the solitary
nature of the “Soul.” As well as “her” ability to select the “one” she wants to
give access to, and then shut out all the rest.

Although it is tempting towards the end of the poem, it is important not to

confine one’s reading of ‘The Soul selects her own Society’ to one of romantic
intent. The “one” she allows into her soul maybe someone she loves
romantically, but more likely, it is the one person who understands her soul as
she does their’s.

Summary

‘The Soul selects her own Society’ by Emily Dickinson is a clever, short poem
about selecting those who one wants to give access to their soul.

Dickinson’s speaker explores the strength of the “Soul” to select the one or the
few that she wants to give access to. The door is opened briefly for this person
or those few people, and then it shuts closed again. There is nothing that
anyone, whether king or emperor, could do to convince the soul to open back up
again. The reason for this “one’s” entry is beyond the confines of wealth or
power. It is due to a deeper connection.

Themes

In ‘The Soul selects her own Society’ Dickinson explores themes of self-
reliance and strength. This poem suggests that it is the best practice to keep
one’s inner life reserved for a select “one” or few. It is the best policy to open
the door for those people and then shut it again. This means that no one can get
in, no matter their status unless they were selected for their pure intentions. The
soul connects to a single person or a few people on a deeper level. One that goes
beyond wealth or fame. Dickinson is remembered as a reserved, reclusive
woman, with few good friends. It is quite easy to read this piece as her own
thoughts on forming relationships.

Structure and Form

‘The Soul selects her own Society’ by Emily Dickinson is a three-stanza poem
that is separated into sets of four lines, known as quatrains. These quatrains
follow a simple rhyme scheme of ABAB, changing end sounds from stanza to
stanza. This was a less common pattern in Dickinson’s poetry, but it does
change somewhat in the second and third stanza. The second and fourth lines of
both of these stanzas make use of what is known as a half-rhyme. The words
“gate” and “mat” as well as “one” and “stone” do not perfectly rhyme, only
partially.

Also common to Dickinson’s verse is the use of iambic trimeter and iambic
tetrameter, although it is neither remains consistent throughout this particular
poem.

Literary Devices

Dickinson makes use of several literary devices in ‘The Soul selects her own
Society’. These include but are not limited to caesura, alliteration, and
personification. The latter is seen throughout the poem when Dickinson gives
the “Soul” agency to choose what to does and where it goes. She also uses
figurative language to suggest what the soul is capable of.

Caesura is a formal device that is seen in almost every line of this piece.
Dickinson’s dashes, which are an integral part of her writing style, divide the
lines of verse up. For example, line one of the third stanza reads: “I’ve known
her — from an ample nation”.

Alliteration is a form of repetition that is concerned with the use and reuse of
the same consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words. For example,
“Society” and “Soul” in line one.

Analysis, Stanza by Stanza

Stanza One

The Soul selects her own Society —

Then — shuts the Door —

To her divine Majority —

Present no more —

In the first short stanza of ‘The Soul selects her own Society’ the speaker begins
with the line that later came to be used as the title of the poem. This is a
common practice in regards to Emily Dickinson’s poetry due to the fact that all
of her poems remained nameless after she wrote them. She describes in the first
lines how “The Soul,” whether her’s or anyone else’s, selects the person, or
perhaps people, she wants to grow close to, and them “shuts the Door”. No one,
at this point, is allowed into her “divine Majesty”. The select few, or one, are
the only ones allowed to know her truly and fully.
Stanza Two

Unmoved — she notes the Chariots — pausing —

At her low Gate —

Unmoved — an Emperor be kneeling

Upon her Mat —

The soul’s strength and determination are emphasized int he second stanza of
‘The Soul selects her own Society’. Dickinson’s speaker notes that it does not
matter who comes knocking at the door of her soul. It could be an Emperor
“kneeling” on the mat of Chariots “pausing— / At her low Gate”. Neither of
these things would convince her to open the metaphorical door to her heart. This
should prove to the reader that the type of person at the door (their statue,
wealth, grandeur). The soul only opens for those it selects for reasons above the
mundane.

Stanza Three

I’ve known her — from an ample nation —

Choose One —

Then — close the Valves of her attention —

Like Stone —

In the final four lines of ‘The Soul selects her own Society,’ the speaker zooms
back and speaks about the soul’s exclusive selection process. She has known
“her” to choose “one” from the “ample nation” of people who want to gain
entry into her innermost life. She then closes the “Valves of her attention— /
Like Stone”. Thus suggesting that no one will ever open the “valve” or door
again. The valve metaphor, in addition to the stone imagery, helps to conclude
the poem firmly. This is the way things are, the speaker is saying, and there’s no
one who could convince the soul to change her mind.