1. The Soul Selects Her Own Society The Divine is Mine
Emily Dickinson
The Soul Selects Her Own Society
The Divine is Mine

2. NOTICE: All of Emily’s poems are free to interpretation
NOTICE: All of Emily’s poems are free to interpretation. If you or a loved one strongly feel different about any of the poems about to be read, feel free to do so.

3. The Soul Selects Her Own Society
The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door; On her divine majority Obtrude no more.
Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausing At her low gate; Unmoved, an emperor is kneeling Upon her mat.
I've known her from an ample nation Choose one; Then close the valves of her attention Like stone.

4. TITLE The Soul Selects Her Own Society Soul
- different for each person
Your own self
Society
Different sections, groups, and cultures found in everyday life

5. Format
The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door; On her divine majority Obtrude no more.
Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausing At her low gate; Unmoved, an emperor is kneeling Upon her mat.
I've known her from an ample nation Choose one; Then close the valves of her attention Like stone.
3 Stanzas
12 Lines
4 lines per Stanza
3 quatrains
(4 lined poems)
Rhyme Scheme:
ABAB
CDCD
EFEF

6. More Rhyming Contains no internal rhyme Eye rhyme: stone and one
Exact Rhyme: door and more
Slant rhyme: society and majority, gate and mat

7. STORY
LINES : The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door; On her divine majority Obtrude no more.
MEANING: The person, in order to be true to herself, chooses one place/life style out of an infinite amount to call her own and gives up everything else.

8. LINES: Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausing At her low gate; Unmoved, an emperor is kneeling Upon her mat.

9. MEANING: She sees temptations (chariots) that try to make her change her mind about her decision. Someone (emperor) important to her tries to persuade her to change her mind.

10. LINES: I've known her from an ample nation Choose one; Then close the valves of her attention Like stone.

11. MEANING: The speaker has known this person (soul) before (they are possibly the same person) and she has decided to stick with their decision and become close minded about the situation.
Valves- referring to closing her mind or heart

12. SPEAKER: A woman talking about her soul or a person talking about a close friend (open to interpretation)
-sounds like Emily’s choice
to stay away form people
and stay in her house
Mood: A story shared/pensive
Key Words: I've known her
(remembering), Unmoved, she
notes the chariot's pausing
( slow Paced and steady)
The rhythm of the poem is slow
adding to the pensiveness of the
mood.

13. Literary Elements Entire Poem- personification of a soul
Alliteration- The soul selects her own society
Symbolism- Emily’s reclusive nature, line 7: the emperor= someone of great importance or status to the speaker, line 11 “valves of her attention”= closing of the mind or heart
Repetition: Unmoved- lines 5 and 7
Imagery: first 2 stanzas

14. The Soul Selects Her Own Society
The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door; On her divine majority Obtrude no more.
Unmoved, she notes the chariot's pausing At her low gate; Unmoved, an emperor is kneeling Upon her mat.
I've known her from an ample nation Choose one; Then close the valves of her attention Like stone.
Lines 10 and 12 reinforce the meaning that the soul can only choose one path and there is no going back.

15. Summing it up
As the poem progresses it becomes more personal and finalized, following the flow of a story.
Changing Rhythm

16. The Divine is Mine The divine — is mine! The Wife — without the Sign!
Acute Degree — conferred on me —
Empress of Calvary!
Royal — all but the Crown!
Betrothed — without the swoon
God sends us Women —
When you — hold— Garnet to Garnet —
Gold — to Gold —
Born — Bridalled — Shrouded —
In a Day —
Tri Victory
"My Husband" — women say —
Stroking the Melody —
Is this — the way? 1 5 10 15

17. Title The Divine is Mine Divine- Something godly
-The speaker proclaims that she has ownership of what is divine

18. Format The divine — is mine! The Wife — without the Sign!
Acute Degree — conferred on me —
Empress of Calvary!
Royal — all but the Crown!
Betrothed — without the swoon
God sends us Women —
When you — hold— Garnet to Garnet —
Gold — to Gold —
Born — Bridalled — Shrouded —
In a Day —
Tri Victory
"My Husband" — women say —
Stroking the Melody —
Is this — the way?
Free Form
15 lines
Rhyme Scheme: ABACCDEFGHIHJKLMNLOL
Many, many dashes

19. More Rhyming Internal Rhyme: Divine and mine, Degree and me
Exact Rhyme: Say, Way, and Day
Slant Rhyme: Mine and Sign
Not much of a rhyme scheme

20. Story The divine — is mine! The Wife — without the Sign!
Acute Degree — conferred on me —
Empress of Calvary!
Royal — all but the Crown!
Betrothed — without the swoon

21. Meaning
The speaker is saying that many women marry just to say they are married and to have the feeling of purpose which comes with marriage. Emily says that she already has this purpose without marriage.

22. Lines: God sends us Women — When you — hold— Garnet to Garnet —
Gold — to Gold —
Born — Bridalled — Shrouded —
In a Day —
Tri Victory
"My Husband" — women say —
Stroking the Melody —
Is this — the way?

23. Meaning
Esp. in religion a woman’s main reason for life is marriage. From the day she is born, she is limited to a certain type of life. These women are depended on their husbands but Emily believes there is a different way to live.

24. Speaker: A woman to women in general
Based on Emily’s beliefs
Mood: Defiant and mocking
Key words: conferred on me, Empress of Calvary!, Born — Bridalled — Shrouded In a Day, Tri Victory
Almost sarcasm

25. Literary Elements Metaphor: Empress of Calvary!
Imagery: When you — hold— Garnet to Garnet —
Gold — to Gold —
Born — Bridalled — Shrouded —
Repetition- Garnet to Garnet —

26. Summing it Up
The speaker is trying to share her views in a mocking and fun way.
Rhythm is broken up with hyphens to make certain words stand out.