This being comfort — then

That other kind — was pain —

But why compare?
I’m “Wife”! Stop there!

‘I’m “wife” – I’ve finished that’ by Emily Dickinson explores independence and
womanhood. The poet depicts an unmarried woman and contrasts her with a wife.
The third stanza begins with a contrast. In the first two lines, the poet says that the
state of womanhood somehow feels more comfortable than being a wife. The
“other kind” is painful for a woman who wants to lead a life on her own.This
satisfying phase of the speaker’s life does not last long. The little freedom she has
as a single woman quickly fades away. She cannot bear the taunts of society any
longer. Hence, she chooses a different partner and remarries.The last line can be
interpreted differently. Readers can take the whole poem just as a chain of
thoughts. The speaker is still the same. She was just thinking about how she would
feel as a single woman. In reality, nothing changed.So, she says, “I’m “Wife”!
Stop there!”. This time the poet capitalizes the first letter of “Wife” for the sake of
emphasis. Besides, it seems that the speaker is rebuking her mind to think in that
way firsthand.