The Soul selects her own Society —
Then — shuts the Door —
To her divine Majority —
Present no more —

Unmoved — she notes the Chariots — pausing —
At her low Gate —
Unmoved — an Emperor be kneeling
Upon her Mat —

I’ve known her — from an ample nation —
Choose One —
Then — close the Valves of her attention —
Like Stone —

Analysis, meaning and summary of Emily Dickinson's poem The Soul selects her own Society

37 Comments

  1. MEHMET KURT says:

    In this particular poem, Dickinson is commenting on how selective humans tend to be with the people and situations they associate themselves with. In the first quatrain, Dickinson makes note on how once the soul “selects her own society” (line 1), the rest of the world is shut out and the soul refuses to dance with any other groups. In the second quatrain, Dickinson writes on how even when incredible circumstances come upon one, the soul remains “unmoved” (line 7). Dickinson concludes the poem by reiterating the theme that the soul has the ability to choose whatever domain or friends they want; it’s getting the soul to allow change that’s difficult.

  2. MEHMET says:

    In this particular poem, Dickinson is commenting on how selective humans tend to be with the people and situations they associate themselves with. In the first quatrain, Dickinson makes note on how once the soul “selects her own society” (line 1), the rest of the world is shut out and the soul refuses to dance with any other groups. In the second quatrain, Dickinson writes on how even when incredible circumstances come upon one, the soul remains “unmoved” (line 7). Dickinson concludes the poem by reiterating the theme that the soul has the ability to choose whatever domain or friends they want; it’s getting the soul to allow change that’s difficult.

  3. Derin says:

    One poem that really caught my attention was poem #303. In my opinion the speaker of the poem, “ The Soul selects her own Society,” refers to a person who decides to close the door of her heart eternally to others because the person he/she truly loves (her society of one person) is gone, not longer by her side, perhaps dead. Therefore he/she wants to embrace that prior lover and let no other replace it. “Unmoved she- notes the Chariots- pausing” here the speaker perchance means that many will come at her door but none will have the privilege to enter only to stand by. The “Emperor” possibly means those waiting to have a chance for her door to unlock. But indifferent of the pain she might cause others and herself she decides to eternally “then-close the Valves of her attention Like Stone” and to continue with her life.

  4. Maggie Trees says:

    In this poem ,emily refors “King”,a person who has appeared ih some of her poems.So,why “king”is present for many times ?

  5. Richard says:

    This poem is a love poem. It is about selecting a soul mate, someone who becomes a “society of one” to the individual who does the selecting. Emily choose her society of one, and then “closed the valves (her heart) to any futher suitors. She made her heart “like stone” to any and all who came to her “low Gate” to impress her. When she found her true love, she had no room in her society for anyone else. Anyone who has ever really been in love knows this is the case of those who find the “society” of the one they choose to be enough and turns the valves of attention to stone so that no one else can be addmitted to her society. It is a beautiful love poem.

  6. Brianna says:

    Majority actually has another meaning: “the state or time of being of full legal age” (Webster). The Soul, having achieved majority, or maturity, is now able to make her own decisions, and choose her own company. “The Soul selects her own Society – Then shuts the Door[.] To her divine Majority – Present no more -“. Think of “present” as in “to offer or deliver.”

    Note the house imagery with door, low gate, mat, and also “valves”; Valves, much like “majority,” carries multiple meanings, in addition to a mechanical valve: checking the dictionary, it seems to describe pieces of shell or else “one of the leaves of a double or folding door” (Webster).

    [analysis assisted by text “Elements of Poetry” (Ch. 13, pg. 576-7), author unknown – from a course packet.]

  7. Sara Weigand says:

    This poem is how she shuts everyone out. The emporer is apart of her imagination and what she wants life to be like. The last part is that she wants to find someone and get them to love her and then turn her back on them like someone else has done to her. (close the valves of her attention=stop showing that person you love them and dont talk to them and make them hurt)

  8. Allie says:

    I like this poem. THis poem has a lot of feeling in it. This whole poem i think means have a seat at an event, what is the event.
    don’t seek an answer, let it come without pressure. soul has chosen the ONE person that it loves and has closed the door permanently to everyone else. Kinda like a first love kind of thing.i think she is almost questioning why they soul chooses just one.

    I love this poet and her points of views.

    ~~~****Allie of Illinois****~~~

  9. Ashes says:

    this is one of my favorite poems by no “snikindy lime”
    in this poem she is the dame being approached by the suitors and she does not care because her heart her soul has chosen the ONE person that it loves and has closed the door permanently to everyone else. Kinda like a first love kind of thing.i think she is almost questioning why they soul chooses just one

  10. court says:

    i think LIKE STONE could mean that her soul feels trapped, like inside the stone prison walls. she could be pursuing the idea that the soul is separate and chooses its passion.

  11. irish says:

    i had hard time on figuring out what could really have been the meaning of this poem, but upon reading the comments of the other reader i have thought that this might imply to LOVE,,
    now can you please elaborate more, i will report this in class.. 🙂

  12. senorita ann says:

    Her writings are mostly about love, every person either boy or girl must be careful in choosing a person he/she will love… it doesnt matter her/his looks or status…like what Dickinson is emphazing….

    i feel that she is getting numb that time of her life with love.._ LIKE STONE__

  13. amanda says:

    On the surface this poem does appear to be a poem of opening her heart, but I believe that it has a different meaning then this. “divine Majority” “Chariots” ect. these are all words of the heavens. The concept of faith and doubt arises in this poem. In this time it was wrong to have doubt that god really existed, but this issue had just started to arise in her time period. I think that this poem is telling about her struggle to be like everyone else but everything that people say to her and present to her so that she would believe in god has no effect. She is “Unmoved” but she also knows that she must “Choose One” or the other to believe or not. I think that she is choosing not to believe in this poem.

  14. evilpanda says:

    I find this poem to be darker and more condescending that what the comments on this board might suggest. From my perspective, the poem comes across to me as the narrator being victim of one too many broken hearts, especially with the last stanza. She has become very selective of the individuals she allows in her life. She’s “unmoved” to so many- even an emperor!

    But this is one man’s evaluation.

  15. Elise says:

    This is a well-thought out poem. Emily Dickinson is an amazing writer. The use of persona tells how the soul is feeling and that it doesn’t matter if you are in the higher society or the lower society, the soul will choose who can enter the door.

  16. old eyes says:

    comments 1-4, all have some validity.
    comment 2, CONDESCENDING-key word
    not meeting the emperor is noted, In life, when the
    king or emperor comes calling, you (we common folk) go
    out to meet him-why does emily stay in the house (it is
    not the ‘stonem not yet anyway)
    okay, more hints, the emperor is kneeling (isn’t that
    peculiar? why, would an emperor be kneeling (condescending? perhaps, what circumstance would require an emperor to bow?
    What personage would requie the Queen of England to bow?
    (same deal)
    You, the reader, have a seat at an event, what is the event.
    don’t seek an answer, let it come without pressure.

    It took me years to figure this out, after reading many
    of emily’s bio. come on, stretch that gray machine.

  17. Ellie says:

    I feel that this poem should not be taken at face value. It is clear that Dickinson has exprienced a love which even an ‘Emperor’ can not penetrate. Her ‘low gate’ is humble in his wake. However the concluding dash, ‘Like Stone-‘ hints that this may not be such an exlusive relionship, in fact the poem could begin again with ‘I’ve known her’ indicating that this happened before. The harsh capital in ‘Stone’ maybe her own feelings at being on the recieving end of rejection. The isolated ‘-shuts the Door-‘
    evokes similer feelings. Dickinson mingles rejection and exclusive love to this poem, wheather souls ‘Valves of.. attention’ are closed for ever is debatable

  18. Karianne says:

    I believe this is one of Emily Dickinson’s more emotional poems. It tells of true love either for a friend or soulmate. When choosing a friend or soulmate you have the entire world to choose from, or an ample nation, and a person doesn’t worry about their status when choosing a friend (The soul remains unmoved even while the emperor is kneeling at her gate). This is such a well written poem. It accurately describes the soul’s unaltered decision while choosing a companion in life.

  19. Raven says:

    This is one of my favorites by Emily. I like her somewhat ironic and condescending second stanza, about how her soul will not open herself to just anyone, no matter their rank. It’s true, too–no one can like everyone, and one only feels close to few.

  20. Samantha Miller says:

    this poem is a great poem that was writin by a strange dauthor with mental isues. she is inside looking at the emporer at her lower gate now wouldn’t you normaly go down and meet the emporer at the gate. that does not seem right. i am doing a paper on this poem for english class and i have alot of things to say about it that i wont
    -samantha miller

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