Summary
The speaker says that “the Soul selects her own Society—”
and then “shuts the Door,” refusing to admit anyone else—even if
“an Emperor be kneeling / Upon her mat—.” Indeed, the soul often
chooses no more than a single person from “an ample nation” and
then closes “the Valves of her attention” to the rest of the world.
Form
The meter of “The Soul selects her own Society” is much
more irregular and halting than the typical Dickinson poem, although
it still roughly fits her usual structure: iambic trimeter with
the occasional line in tetrameter. It is also uncharacteristic in
that its rhyme scheme—if we count half-rhymes such as “Gate” and “Mat”—is
ABAB, rather than ABCB; the first and third lines rhyme, as well
as the second and fourth. However, by using long dashes rhythmically
to interrupt the flow of the meter and effect brief pauses, the
poem’s form remains recognizably Dickinsonian, despite its atypical
aspects.
Commentary
Whereas “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” takes a playful tone
to the idea of reclusiveness and privacy, the tone of “The Soul
selects her own Society—” is quieter, grander, and more ominous.
The idea that “The Soul selects her own Society” (that people choose
a few companions who matter to them and exclude everyone else from
their inner consciousness) conjures up images of a solemn ceremony
with the ritual closing of the door, the chariots, the emperor,
and the ponderous Valves of the Soul’s attention. Essentially, the
middle stanza functions to emphasize the Soul’s stonily uncompromising
attitude toward anyone trying to enter into her Society once the
metaphorical door is shut—even chariots, even an emperor, cannot
persuade her. The third stanza then illustrates the severity of
the Soul’s exclusiveness—even from “an ample nation” of people,
she easily settles on one single person to include, summarily and
unhesitatingly locking out everyone else. The concluding stanza,
with its emphasis on the “One” who is chosen, gives “The Soul selects
her own Society—” the feel of a tragic love poem, although we need
not reduce our understanding of the poem to see its theme as merely
romantic. The poem is an excellent example of Dickinson’s tightly
focused skills with metaphor and imagery; cycling through her regal
list of door, divine Majority, chariots, emperor, mat, ample nation,
and stony valves of attention, Dickinson continually surprises the
reader with her vivid and unexpected series of images, each of which
furthers the somber mood of the poem.
