I started Early -- Took my Dog --

In this poem by Emily Dickinson, the speaker is telling of deep emotions. As Lois Tyson explains in CRITICAL THEORY TODAY, water can be a symbol of emotions-often deep, fluid and changeable, and even dangerous.
As the speaker is alone with her thoughts (and her dog) on a walk, her imagination takes her on a journey through her deep emotions- deep becuase of the reference to the "mermaids in the basement," a basement that is below the surface. The speaker's emotions perhaps about someone, are the "Tide" that makes her feel small, like a "mouse." She is also little like a "Dandelion's Sleeve" that is enveloped in "Dew." The powerful emotions the speaker is feeling seem to completely absorb her. Only when she is no longer alone with her thoughts and enters into the "Solid Town" of society does her emotional "Sea" "withdr[a]w" and take a back seat in her imagination as she is rescued from drowning in them.

This poem seems to be begging for a Freudian analysis, which--lucky me--is exactly what I'm here to give.
To me, this poem is all about the conflict between the narrator's id and her superego. The id, or basic, forbidden instincts, is portrayed as the ocean and the mermaids (themselves very sensual creatures) in the ocean. The superego, which represents the morals society imposes on us, is shown to be frigates watching over her and viewing her dispassionately to be only a mouse in need of their help, unable to make good decisions without their help. The mermaids are said to be in the basement, while the frigates are in the upper floor. This makes even more sense when viewed from a Freudian angle, as the id is often thought of as "base" instincts while the superego is "higher" desires.
What happens to the narrator is worth noting. While the frigates watch from afar, the ocean moves in an covers her in a very sexy scene. It moves in like a lover: past her shoe, her apron, her belt, and her bodice, as though it would eat her up. It follows behind her so long as she stays on the beach, but as soon as she goes to the town it withdraws, as it cannot follow her into the realm where society and imposed morality wait.
I think that maybe we should give Emily and Sigmund some time along now. Until next time...

As my esteemed colleague has already stolen the Freudian analysis of this poem, I'll have to go with a Marxist one. And here goes.
When the poem begins, Emily refers to visiting the Sea. The term "visiting" is immediate personification, meaning that (as usual in poetry) a cigar is not just a cigar; or in this case, the sea is not just the sea. More on the Sea later. The word "takes" in relation to her dog is also significant, in that it refers to the dog as a sort of material possession. The fact that it is Emily's only possession that she mentions taking suggests an anti-Capitalist spin: her four-legged companion is the only thing that's truly important to her; she leaves everything else behind.
The Frigates and the Mermaids reflect the upper and lower classes, which is emphasized by their position in the upper floor and basement respectively. While the lower classes can only stare in wonder at Emily (who is more fortunate than they), the upper classes extend a patronizing hand to her, assuming that because she is not like them (she doesn't have as many possessions) that she wants to be. However, she doesn't accept, showing that she is content without the Capitalist view of wealth. Of additional importance is that Mermaids are typically shown to possess nothing, although they are always portrayed as happy and carefree. Although they have nothing material to offer Emily, they tempt her with a promise of a carefree life.
The Tide seems to embody the spirit of abandoning society. It is certainly very seductive to want to escape from it all, and the Sea seems to be the "Man" that is moving Emily (or, I should say, the speaker). When she feels she is about to be consumed by her desire to release her earthly cares and, perhaps, leave the world entirely, she has a change of heart. The seductive nature of the Sea is emphasized by the use of "Silver" and "Pearl," showing that the Sea can match any of the commodities valued in the Capitalist world.
When she returns to society, the Sea understands. It bows and withdraws, seeming to suggest that it is still there in case she should change her mind. And what does "Might" mean? Is it "mighty", meaning profound? Or is the Sea saying that the speaker "might" yet accept its offer? I do not know.
But what do I REALLY think it means? When I first read it (without trying to find all that deeper meaning in it), I simply looked at it as Emily's experimentation with suicide and the nature of living. But that doesn't completely jive with the Marxist thing, so I'll leave it for someone else to comment on. There is also naturally all sorts of id and superego and Emily’s sensual nature repressed by society, but as I’d hate to repeat my eminent compatriot who has already explored this issue, I shall leave it at that.

Since no one has done a feminist viewpoint yet I guess I will, yes I know I’m I guy but not all guys are complete pigs. Anyway, the first thing that jumps out at me is when she gets to the sea she sees mermaids in the “Basement” and frigates on the “Upper Floor”. I’m presuming that who ever is working the Frigates is male, because they are called seamen not seawomen after all. To prove this point spell check didn’t recognize seawomen as it did seamen. So obviously it shows that the men are above the women and keeping them suppressed, underneath them if you will. It goes on to describe the tide moving over her and mentions her plain shoes, apron, belt and bodice, perfect attire for spending the day in the kitchen baking up something for the man. Then she talks about how the sea, which she refers to as masculine, follows her, his heel catching her ankle, trying to slow her down until she reaches the town, symbolizing going to the city to seek what opportunities it would provide a women and finally the sea realizes her independence and bows with a “Might look” and withdraws, symbolizing the slow but steady acceptance of women in a male dominated society. This may be a plumb that fell way of the tree but that’s the way I see it.

To me this Poem screams SEXUALITY. I read, and as I read I began to blush. The more I tried to interpret and categorize the work the more raw and blatant the sexuality. I want to look at the imagery created by Dickinson's words. She began early, whether she is awake or in a dream is not important; I however, believe she is dreaming. She takes a dog. A symbol of base instincts and indiscriminant sexual practice. The cleft image of tails of the "mermaids in the (her) basement/ Came out to look" another sex image, this one of her female sex. The upper floor extends to her, a knotted rough rope, again an image of sexuality this time male. This idea of the men on the frigates as seamen was put forth in another critique I only mention it is an image of male sexuality. Directly behind the male symbol is another veiled reference to female sexuality, a mouse, small and helpless. The next stanza seems to be more masturbatory than any other sex act. When no man moves her but she still feels the rhythmic waves of the tide move up her legs past the hem of her apron even to her bodice she becomes consumed by the sensation, consumed by the waves of energy pulsating through her as powerful as the sea she feels overcome, powerless and small. The act moves from being about one person to the union of two in the fifth stanza. Remember the image of the dog as “He followed -- close behind / I felt his Silver Heel / Upon my Ankle – Then my Shoes / Would overflow with Pearl –.“ This style of union is base and about power. Power the man behind her holds and she does not. She derives her power from his need as they neared the town and she makes to leave this dream of sensuality behind he throws her a “Might” look, a look of desire, a fervent wish expressed with his eyes for her to stay with him. He sees that she will not and withdraws powerless and alone. The bleak loveless sex of the poem may echo Dickinson’s own life or may be simply an expression of powerlessness.

Like many have stated in the previous comments, I feel that in this poem Dickinson is showing an inner conflict. This woman with her dog has come down to the beach, leaving the town behind her. You can almost hear the sea calling to her when Dickinson speaks of the 'mermaids in the basement'. She is prepared to let the sea take her to where her desires lay, however another slight obstacle avails. The frigate seems to have a looming presence over her which makes her feel small and lost. Dickinson does this by using the word 'mouse' to describe the speaker. However, even with the frigate overhead, the speaker gives in to her desires (perhaps very sexual) and lets the sea come up. It has a very sexual connotation when the sea makes its way slowly up her leg and then finally to her bodice. Also, as in Kate Chopin's novel THE AWAKENING, the sea is a symbol of sensuous thoughts and desires and often characters escape to the sea to fulfill these. As the speaker then turns on the sea and starts back to the town, the sea cannot follow, because there society lies and her desires must stay 'at harbor'.

Corey did a good job of analyzing this poem with a feminist theory, but I would like to take a different approach. I agree with many of Corey's observations, but see this poem as a way to escape the patriarchal male and have an experience as a woman rather than a poem showing the male dominance oppressing her. The sea acts as a place of refuge. It is secluded and distant from her own world. When she gets to this place who greets her upon her arrival? Mermaids greet her, not mermen. They are other women enviting her to be herslef for a short time. The frigate can truly be seen as male dominance, but more in the mind of the narrator than an actual presence. The frigate reminds her of her place in society (a small mouse), but she stands defiantly and says "But no man moved me". She allows herself to be carried a way in a semi-sexual experience with the sea. She lets go for a minute and lets the tide envelop her in a moment of pleasure. The tide that makes to eat her whole can be seen as her own desires of freedom nearly overcoming her learned method of behavior. When she "started--too--", I think the narrator is frightened by her own feelings of desire and starts for home before she gives in completely. All the way back to the "solid town" the tide is keeping to her heels, reminding her or enticing her back. Instead the tide realizes it has no place there, for it recognizes nothing. Her inside desires(sea) then bow out to her need to go back to her place in society, for good or ill.

I see the main character as depressed and overwhelmed with life. The sea is alluring and a tease. The extended hands from the ship are inviting.
Some of the things that stand out to me as signs of her being depressed are: Her reference to mermaids(beautiful) in the basement(dark, cold) - The ship makes her feel small, like a mouse - She wears simple shoes and an apron -She is probably married and not happy - She says no man has moved her until the tide.
The tide is an escape or fantasy for her. She is very sensitive as it covers every part of her body to her bodice. She describes it as having “silver heels” and on her shoes it overflows with pearl. Momentarily, she is bathed in nice things and nice feelings.
But, when the sea gets as far as it can go on the beach, it turns around with a "might look" and leaves her. She temporarily gets out of her reality, and unites with the sea.

This poem seems to me to be a coming of age piece as Emily discovers her sexuality and the feelings associated with it. She begins by saying that she started early and the imagery of a dog accompayying her implies a little girl on a jaunt to the seashore. However, according to Lois Tyson's "Critical Theory Today" the sea is symbolic of sexuality and emotions. The speaker seems to be saying that she began exploring her sexuality at a young age. In the basement, or hidden places, where society so often hides all things sex-related, Emily sees Mermaids, another sensual though feminine image. In contrast to the soft, flowing mermaids are the stern frigates who want to hold her back and keep her innocently (like a mouse) on the shore.
Emily seems to explore her ow n sexuality early, but it is later that a man enters into the picture, as the sea covers most of her body. As she experiences the related emotions, it seems as though she will be consumed by this man. He introduces her to new wonders that allure like silver and pearls. But she finally returns to "the sold town" and leaves behind the sea of emotions, which also retracts from her as she finds that society and sex don't necessarily mix.

To me this poem is about the internal struggle of the id and superego. In the begining of the poem the woman "started early--took my dog-- And visited the sea" This gives the sense of innocence but at the same time she goes to the sea as if she knows the social values that restrict her and that she is fighting them by going to her desires. The mermaids in the basement, her mystical hidden passions, come out to tempt her. In fact everything at the sea is trying to get her to give into her id. The Frigates "extened hemper hands Presuming me to be a mouse Aground--upon the sand" This makes me think that her desires are calling her and making her feel "weak." Her superego holds her back to the sexuallity that society frowns on when she says "But no man moved me" Then she feels the emotions and desires throughout her body with the tide and begins to give in to the physical sensations of the moment. Even when she is in the moment is seems as if there is still a feeling of resistance: "And made as he would eat me up." This is as if she is worried of being devoured until she says, "And then--I started too." The internal confict continues at the end of the poem where the superego comes back when they meet the "Solid Towm" where "No one He seems to know." This is her knowledge of what society says that she should do and the id is in conflict with that so doesn't belong there and withdraws.

The first thing that jumped out at me when I read this poem was that Frued would love this. The strongest image in this poem is the sea and the girl's flirtation with it. She looks at it for a while and then gets in. This is a classic image of sexuality. The girl feels like a mouse so maybe she feels inexperienced or that this is her first time she has really given into these feelings and let her id take over. Ms. Dickinson uses the word pearl and to me that could represent her virginity something valuable that she has given up or given to him. So perhaps this poem is about a girl who loses her virginity. I feel like this is her first time because it seems like the speaker is very new to the sea experience in the way that she describes it. She focuses on details of the mermaids (perhaps women who are more sexually experienced than she) and she seems almost self conscious that they are looking at her, and the seamen (also very expereinced becuase these people reside in/on the sea).

To me the strongest image in this poem is the sea and the girl's flirtation with it. At first she looks at it and then she gets in. Frued would say that the sea is a sexual image. I believe that this is the girl's first time giving into her id. She seems almost selfconcious that the mermaids (women who are more sexually advice than she) are look at her. The seamen are also more sexually adviced because these people live on/in the sea. She feels like a mouse becuase she is inexperienced compaired to the others around her. The word pearl could signify the girl's virginity because it is something valuable. I get the impression that she is young becuase in the first line it says that she started early.

In I stated Early-- I walked my Dog there are many ways to interpret this with a psychoanalytical perspective. In the begining of this piece she started her journey to the sea. The sea has the symbolic meaning and connotation of femininity. It seems as though the protaginist of this piece ispiece is entering into the female domain where the "mermaids...came out to look at me." The narrator is secluded from this different world. She had to arrive there and when she does the mermaids stare. This displays feelings of isolation and seclusion. Then she goes to the frigates, or in other word to a big boat. This sea metaphor takes on a new level. It becomes the man domain of adventure and excitement, but unlike the mermaids the people on the boat invite the narrtor to their realm with extended "hempen hand," and yet there is no true acceptance because they think her a "mouse." They see her from the sand. They see her and want her to come 'join their fun.' These boatmen want to use her and entice her to come aboard. The narrator would have with held and stood her ground because "no man moved me." This demonstrates the philosiphy of female suppres of sexuality. The superego of the narrator has full control, but a quick alteration happens when "the tide
went past my simple shoe." THe gratification of the id takes place here. The water slowly emerges to engulf her whole body. THe narrator goes on to diplay the repression of her sexuality as the water penetrates "past my apron and my belt and past my bodice too." This graphically portrays a passion that overcomes her whole body. THe narrator comes back to her when she "started too." She flees from this escape from the protocols of society, but her superego comes back to her and she must get back to town. The id follows close behind "I felt his silver heel
Upon my ankle then my shoes." THe id doesn't want to be supressed from the pleasure it so desires. It not until the protagonist gets back to town that the "sea withdrew." Back in the would of indoctorinated rules and ethics to be lived by. The narrator goes back to norms of life.

I think one could find several ways to look at the meaning behind this poem. When applying the idea of dream symbolism you could take Dickinson's poem as a dream written down and search for the latent content of that dream. It seems to me that the poem is describing the power of sex. It's saying a woman can be controlled easily by a man and then left behind just as quickly. As mentioned by others I think it's obvious that the water is male sexuality. The mermaids, who are a female symbol, are described to be in the basement where they belong but get to come up for a minute to glance at the other woman. The woman walking on the beach is then approached by the male. He surrounds her and proceeds to journey up her body receiving the statisfaction he needs and then just as quickly he abandons her after reaching town because she is no longer desired.

Everything from apples to arrows to cats, even trains going through tunnels, is representative of not only intercourse, but male domination. Perchance even the frigates in this poem symbolize the power and persuassiveness of men - riding high on the waters of sexual desires. They steer their chosen courses, and roughly with hemped hands engage presumably innocent mice(women). Interestingly, the narrator is not sexually aroused until she overwhelmed, drowned, in a flurry of eroticism. Her ego is no longer in control, as the floods of water break through her clothes and symbolic chastity. The narrator's superego had allowed her to walked a balanced line between land and ocean - morality and animalistic pleasure - but no more. She has succomed to the domination of men, and the control that they exert with their "frigates."

and you thought the world was all about mermaids and beach vacations...

I won't start by saying that I'm some kind of expert on this type of thing. I'm not even close. To tell you the truth I hate when people analyse someone else's writings. I once had a teacher tell me what I was really trying to say in a paper. I think that really, only the author knows what they are talking about, or if there is even any deeper meaning. But, as you may have already guessed, our class was assigned the job for this poem, so, what the hey, I guess I can b.s. with the best of them.

I think that this poem is about depression. I don't believe that she really went to the beach, nor did she bring her dog. Typically the beach is a happy place. Most people start out happy in their lives, though we tend to not stay that way forever. The dog, to me, is also a mark of hapiness, and I think that it's significant that she only mentions it at the beginning. The mermaids are people that look in on the authors life, that see her beginning to drowned and do nothing about it. I think that the major point for my view is made in the paragraph,

"But no Man moved Me -- till the Tide
Went past my simple Shoe --
And past my Apron -- and my Belt --
And past my Bodice -- too --

And made as He would eat me up --
As wholly as a Dew
Upon a Dandelion's Sleeve."

She falls deeper and deeper, felling like she is being swallowed up, with nothing that she can do. I don't even really see an end to this depression, just an end to life. The author was obviously troubled, and had many problems, whether real, or imagined.

Take all of this with a handful of salt though, because, like I said, I feel like analysis is b.s.

OK. I'm seeing this poem in a completely different way, and am in now way saying that anyone is right nor wrong. When I read this poem I think that Emily is talking about death, which quite a few of her poems are based around. Also during her life she had many people she knew die around her and around the age of 23 she committed herself to her room and practically never came out. Authors writings tend to reflect they're lives aswell, so I think that Emily's poem is talking about death. At the beginning of the poem she seems to start her life, rather happily, like a normal person. She sees some people, not necessarily like the people we see today, but mermaids. Then she sees the frigate, which could be heaven, and its trying to help her because in the whole scheme of things she is just a tinny little thing, practically the size of an atom, if compared to the universe, in this poem though she is called a mouse, and she is just another thing on the earth. And the hands of the frigate are trying to force her to come up to Heaven, hemp is course and rough, which show that the hand are trying to force her to do something, but she wouldn't go, at least until the tide came, posibbly an angel, but porbably not God himself. This angel, or the tide, slowly started engulfing her, or rather taking her to heaven, in essence, dying. Then it says, "And made as He would eat me up --," 'he' is capitalized, which is a reference to God. The dew is relating back ot the ocean, which is so vast and huge, and she is just another small part of it. Then she started, as in she started to live again almost as if she had a near death experience. Once again 'he' is capitalized and He is trying to get her to come with him to keep going, but she keeps going and as she gets further away from him he looses his grasp on her, but is refering to the silvery reflection you see in the water as the thing that is at her heel. Because of her 'moment', near death experience, she has taken something away with her that is very dear, just as a pearl is very important to someone who goes into the ocean and finds one, but they weren't specifically looking to find it. Finally when she came back to reality, or back to town, she'd completelly come back to life, and He, God, didn't know anybody because he is from Heaven, and doesn't know anyone one from Earth. Then by bowing, which can mean: To bend (the head, knee, or body) to express greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration. He let her go back to the world and withdrew is attempt to take her.

OK. I'm seeing this poem in a completely different way, and am in not way saying that anyone is right nor wrong. When I read this poem I think that Emily is talking about death, which quite a few of her poems are based around. Also during her life she had many people she knew die around her and around the age of 23 she committed herself to her room and practically never came out. Authors writings tend to reflect they're lives aswell, so I think that Emily's poem is talking about death. At the beginning of the poem she seems to start her life, rather happily, like a normal person. She sees some people, not necessarily like the people we see today, but mermaids. Then she sees the frigate, which could be heaven, and its trying to help her because in the whole scheme of things she is just a tinny little thing, practically the size of an atom, if compared to the universe, in this poem though she is called a mouse, and she is just another thing on the earth. And the hands of the frigate are trying to force her to come up to Heaven, hemp is course and rough, which show that the hands are trying to force her to do something, but she wouldn't go, at least until the tide came, posibbly an angel, but porbably not God himself. This angel, or the tide, slowly started engulfing her, or rather taking her to heaven, in essence, dying. Then it says, "And made as He would eat me up --," 'he' is capitalized, which is a reference to God. The dew is relating back to the ocean, which is so vast and huge, and she is just another small part of it. Then she started, as in she started to live again almost as if she had a near death experience. Once again 'he' is capitalized and He is trying to get her to come with him, to keep going, but she keeps going away and as she gets further away from him he looses his grasp on her, but is refering to the silvery reflection you see in the water as the thing that is at her heel. Because of her 'moment', near death experience, she has taken something away with her that is very dear, just as a pearl is very important to someone who goes into the ocean and finds one, but they weren't specifically looking to find a pearl. Finally when she came back to reality, or back to town, she'd completely come back to life, and He, God, didn't know anybody because he is from Heaven, and doesn't know anyone one from Earth. Then by bowing, which can mean: To bend (the head, knee, or body) to express greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration. He let her go back to the world and withdrew is attempt to take her.

I feel this poem is about depression. As we all know Dickinson suffered from depression and perhaps agoraphonia. The journey she takes in the poem is not a one-day journey but a long searching and life changing one. She starts out early (young) with her dog (a tie to earthly things) sees Mermaids in the basement (depression), Grigates in the upper floor (others who are not experiencing depression) and she feels like a mouse stuck in the sand (little, insignificant, unable to move forward). No man (nothing) could change her mood until the Tide came up and enveloped her (swallowed her up - deeper and deeper into depression) as dew on a dandelions sleeve (again insignificant, small, unable to fight) and she started to go with the flow (death) but she didn't. The HE must be God since it is capitalized. Thus God was the one that called her to a final rest-death. She turned from "death" and walked away but the thought of death was still on her mind (close behind on her heels). The shoes overflowing with pearls could be like the parable of the oyster that had a grain of sand in his shell that gave him much discomfort but over time turned into a pearl thus her depression and whatever was the root of it caused her pain and discomfort but she held on and finally the depression got better (on Solid Town). God saw she was okay and bowed to her and left her alone.

In this poem Emily Dickinson is setting out to commit suicide.

The mermaids in the basement were some people living in the damp basement watching her go.

The frigates were big important people living on the top floor. They too watched her go in an unfriendly (hempen hands) disdainful way, making her feel like a little mouse.

She uses the analogies "mermaids" and "frigates" because the sea is on her mind.

No man stopped her, so she wades into the sea.

God was in the power of the sea, and it looked as though He was going to devour her, but He decides to save her instead. He follows her, she felt Him in the waves lapping round her ankles that reminded her of pearls, and God's "silver heel"

She was washed back up on the shore "solid town" then God gave her a mighty look and departed in the form of the sea.

This poem is about redemption, she sets out to commit suicide but is saved to live another day. Emily Dickinson was depressed, she had Bright's disease, she clearly fantasized about suicide all alone in her room dressed in white, and that is what this poem is about.