(Jones, p. 49). These confessional poems are often "searing in their self-inquiry" and "harrowing to the reader" and typically take their metaphors from texts and paintings of Dickinson's day. Some scholars posit that the "Master" is an unattainable composite figure, "human, with specific characteristics, but godlike." (Jones, p. 49).
Recent scholars have posited that Dickinson saw the mind and spirit as tangible, places and that for much of her life she lived within them. (Juhasz, p. 86-87). Often, this intensely private place is referred to as the "undiscovered continent," embellished with images of nature. (Juhasz, p. 89).
Classifying "Wild nights!" Wild nights!"
"Wild Nights! Wild Nights" must be interpreted with the aid of recurring themes in Dickinson's work. The dominant interpretation of Wild Nights is that it is a sexually-themed poem about lust and desire directed at the recurring "Master," Dickinson's "lover for all eternity." Advocates of this interpretation claim that the line "Might I but moor/Tonight -- in Thee" is an indication of her sexual desire. (10-11; Joly, 2). They also point to the word "luxury," which represents passionate indulgence. (Joly, 2).
However, the sexual interpretation suffers from a glaring flaw. It only accounts for male sexual desire, that of the phallic rowboat dwelling in the sea for the night. It is hard to imagine Dickinson, a female, conceiving of sex from a phallic perspective.
Rather, "Wild Nights! Wild Nights" can be best described as one of Dickinson's "Undiscovered Continent" poems, which deal with the inner world of the mind. The images of water are meant to symbolize the vast, seductive, and often frightening subconscious.
The subconscious is usually accessed during the Rapid Eye Movement phase of sleep, during dreams. As we usually sleep and dream at night, the reference to "Wild Nights" and "To-Night" is made clear. The title "Wild Nights! Wild Nights!" evokes the excitement of an exhilarating dream. Perhaps it was a type of dream that Dickinson had only once...
(5-6). Dickinson was intensely introverted and sensitive, she felt secure with her "Heart in port." (6). Nothing could keep her from the vast "Sea." (7).
The lines "Done with the Compass -- /Done with the Chart" refers to the abandonment of logic and order that accompanies the descent into one's subconscious. (7-8). The calculating mind is no longer in control at that point, allowing the expression of urges and images that do not make sense to the calculating mind during our waking lives. This is the reason that dreams are often bizarre and random, a mish-mash of disconnected elements from our waking life.
Conclusion
Dickinson was, perhaps, the purest individual artist of her time. Shut away in her room for much of her life, it is as if Dickinson was living in a cave. Dickinson's life is the closest experiment we have of what would happen if an artistic soul was born and raised in the world with only minimal influence by the artistic trends of her day. It is hard to imagine what this type of artist would say, and interpretations of her work must account for her idiosyncracies.
Bibliography
Joly, Ralph R. (2012). "Wild Nights -- Wild Nights!." Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition (2002): 1-2. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 17 Mar. 2012.
Wider, Sarah a (2001) "Emily Dickinson" / / the American Renaissance in New England: Third Series (Mott, Wesley) Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Print.
Dean, James L. "Dickinson's 'Wild Nights'." Explicator. 51.2 (1994): 91-93. Print.
Jones, Ruth O. "Neighbor -- and Friend -- and Bridegroom-': William Smith Clark as Emily Dickinson's Master Figure."Emily Dickinson Journal. 11.2 (2002): 48-85. Print.
Juhasz, Suzanne. "The 'undiscovered Continent': Emily Dickinson and the Space of the Mind." The Missouri Review. 3.1 (1979): 86-97. Print.
