"I Started Early - Took My Dog" by Emily Dickinson Poetry Analysis
SUMMARY
In “I started Early - Took my Dog”, Emily Dickinson tells us about the speaker’s stroll to the seaside with her dog. By means of bright metaphor, she emphasizes the majesty of the sea and her own fragility against it. Finally, she runs in fear from the tide and the sea pulls out from the unfamiliar town.
DESCRIPTION
We can draw attention to the fact that it is not specified whether the walk takes place early in the morning or in the early period in life. Therefore, the word “early” has an ambiguous meaning.
The figure of the Dog appears only in the first line, so it loses its significance later.
EXPLICATION AND CLOSE READING
The meaning of all the significant figures is highlighted by capitalizing.
Taking the Dog to the seaside may denote either everydayness of the walk or the speaker’s attempt to protect herself from something alien – the Sea, which I see as a symbol of an overflowing feeling of the first love. In the deep, the beloved is curious – “the Mermaids in the Basement” (3) appear to have a look at the girl. At first, he disdains her presuming her to be “a mouse” (7).
“No Man” can move her, which may be understood both literally and symbolically – obviously, the girl has never fallen in love before. Nevertheless, “the Tide” (9) of a new feeling is about to swamp her, to gulp her down like “a Dew” (14), fresh and blameless.
The speaker is frightened. Upon her ankle, she can feel “His Silver Heel” (18). Not only the noun “heel” but all the three words are capitalized to highlight impressiveness. Her shoes are about to be “overflow with Pearl” (20) – the sign of passionate promises.
The girl runs back to her ordinary life – to “the Solid Town” (21) and the Sea backs down at the look of cold unfamiliar people around.
We can see no other punctuation marks besides dashes, so the poem is overflown with dramatic pauses. It makes the narration extremely emotional and touching.
ANALYSIS
I see the main idea of the poem as trembling with fear and anxiety when a person falls in love for the first time.
At the beginning, an innocent girl goes out for a walk without a second thought. She is young, fresh and inexperienced. Her clothes is simple, her thoughts are pure. She takes a Dog, her only protector, with her. During this fateful stroll, she comes to the shore as the Sea attracts her and appeals to her; maybe she is curious about some unfamiliar experience. The Sea’s envoys from the depths observe her stealthily:
“The Mermaids in the Basement
Came out to look at me”
That is why I suppose, this is the first time she has ever visited the Sea.
Outwardly, “in the Upper Floor” (5) the Sea’s Frigates, quite ominous-looking, with “Extended Hempen Hands” (6) look down at the girl like at a mouse on the shore. There is however no sign …
