When doing our readings for tomorrow, this poem specifically struck me due to its social commentary on the expectation of women during this time period. When girls, (more often than not very young girls), were married off, they immediately became “women” and were expected to adhere to their societal “duties.” Dickinson mentions how “odd the Girl’s life looks” (2.5) being forced to mold herself into this “woman” that is deemed so desirable. This poem is read with a particularly melancholy tone in my opinion, almost mourning the loss of innocence and independence of girls of this era, and recognizing that this reality isn’t how it’s meant to be. Dickinson also seems frustrated as she throws in an ironic remark at the end of it, “But Why compare? I’m “Wife”! Stop there!” (2.11-12).
One thought on “The loss of “The Girl” – Poem #225”
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I read this poem as a passive aggressive/frustrated commentary as well. Dickinson seemed to value her adolescence greatly, even though much of that time was spent preparing to later become the wife of somebody. But there is a freedom in a girl’s adolescence; you are not yet bound to someone, and you are young enough to be allotted time to developing your personhood while literally developing as a preteen/teenager. Dickinson had a lot of close girlfriends during her younger years and, as evident through her letters, seems to have carefully fostered said bonds. I feel as though a lot of this anger comes from abandonment — her friends, once girls, became wives, and their responsibilities, duties, and time shifted from friendship and education to caring for the home and their husbands. Poems like this one read as a response to loss, both of self and of friends (not disregarding the other many reasons I’m sure she wrote poems on the subject, such as progressive views). I can’t help but think of the quote, “We were girls together” from Toni Morrison’s novel Sula when reading some of Dickinson’s poems. Heartbreaking.