The writers often correlate themselves with their heroes. The poet may not write literary about his or her feelings, but he or she undoubtedly expresses them in the poem. People who read the poem “Wild nights” by Emilia Dickinson at first time often claim that it is a poem of sexual passion and rapture. When they reread it several times they find there some hidden sense, some striking images.
Spiritual or Physical Sense?
Almost all readers associate luxury of wild nights with sexual activity that is why the main heroine of the poem is perceived as one who has sexual craving. In the first stanza, the author refers to her deep desire to be with ‘thee’, a mysterious one, in whose company she imagines ‘Wild Nights’ as a ‘luxury’. The choice of words is anything but special with erotic innuendos appeared in almost every line. It is clear that the desired meeting expressed in the first stanza is not merely a spiritual but a physical one.
Dickinson uses a lot of nautical word in her poem. In such a way she expresses the singularity of her affection when she is using nautical metaphors. The lines “Futile—the Winds—/To a Heart in port—“ confirm that her affection cannot be moved, even by strong winds. She presents new objects with different meanings. It may be a symbol of her traversing an immense ocean of deep feelings. The main contrasts in the poem are between port which symbolize safety (or Heart of the main heroine) and the sea (all the unknown obstacles that the main heroine faces with). The words in the second stanza could be interpreted in more ways than one.
Problem of Main Heroine
The last stanza’s tone refers to special sexual agitation in this poem as talks of ‘Rowing in Eden’ but manifests the importance to ‘moor-Tonight’. It appears that the main heroine can hardly hold herself back. The poem ends on a note that reflects her restlessness to moor ‘In Thee!’ creating a vision of her giving up to this mysterious being. The final two lines of the poem mention her having put aside the chart and compass. Since she has found what she has been looking for, she suddenly has put away her map and directional guide. Nevertheless, she can be swallowed by that “ocean” of feelings, they are no longer required : “Might I but moor”. The final stanza again employs some visions that refer to the sea. The last lines have sparked of the controversy. The words “Might I but moor – Tonight – / In Thee!” seem to be pronounced by man.
The sea is not only where the adventures of life are, but it is also where love is. The main heroine lives in a port. In such a way the winds can be understood as the some friends of her, who tried to exhort her back out to sea but not enemies or obstacles. The lines 'Done with the compass, / Done with the chart!' mean that she is done with the sea and is never going to come back again. She has a burning and desire to stand outside in the midst of the torrent of life.
The main heroine knows that futile winds are here only link to the sea and they failed to tempt her out. All things consider it is needed to admit that this poem is extremely sad though beautiful and romantic one. “Wild Nights" first impresses by kaleidoscope of its magical images and powerful passions. It is impossible to interpret it in some particular way because lots of polysemantic words make the meaning of the poem slippery.
