Diana Felix English 22 May 26, 2011 Poetry Analysis I started Early Took my Dog In I started Early Took

my Dog Emily Dickinson portrays the speaker of the poem as being innocent and small compared to the sea that the speaker visits. Extended Hempen Hands, presuming me to be a mouse suggests that the speaker will fall prey to the sea. The animal imagery of a mouse evokes the sense that the speaker is weak and the Hempen Hands, or ropes have taken her captive. But the fact that the speaker thinks that the sea is presuming her to be a mouse implies that she does not think see is as weak as she seems, she is willing letting herself be taken by the aggressive nature of the sea while she is aground on the sand. The sea has ignited her sexual desires. But no Man moved me- till the Tide In this line Dickinson references to the speakers virginity, and sexual inexperience; this also marks a coming change. The rocking motion of a tide, pushing and pulling, has awakened the speakers sexuality. Interestingly from this point on in the poem, the sea is personified as a Man. The undulating motions of a tide embody a lovers caress; he is seducing the speaker. In the following lines her intense feelings begin to consumer her. Went past my simple shoe and past my apronand my belt and past my bodicetoo. It is starting at her feet and intensifying up towards her breast. Ironically the man can only pass over the speakers body and can only touch her clothes. Literally she is clothed but the sea is swallowing her body and washing over all of her barriers, figuratively washing away her reserve and innocent nature, exposing her natural self, free from constraint; she is bare. In the next line Dickinson describes how the sexual experience is thoroughly overtaking the speaker. And made he would eat me up as wholly as a Dew, the dew in comparison to the

sea is insignificant. The speaker is fearful that she, the dew, will be lost in the overpowering sea. Also this suggests that the speaker is afraid to lose her identity in becoming one with the man and loving him. Dickinson is making a statement to the overwhelming forces of all nature and emotion how easily you can be lost in it. After the climax of the sexual encounter, the poem moves away from the seashore into society. Until we met the solid town, Dickinsons diction choice of solid speculates at the unchanging, static nature of society. This also marks a shift in the poem. It ends on a sad note, bowingwith a Might look at me The Sea withdrew. The bowing implies respect to the speaker of the poem; he is leaving the women because he does not know how to be in society. Dickinson here expresses the juxtaposing idea of land and water. Water is free and fluid while, land is solid and repressive. On land, the sexual desires of the speaker and the sea cannot be expressed as freely as by the water.