Wild Nights – Wild Nights
Wild nights – Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!Futile – the winds –
To a Heart in port –
Done with the Compass –
Done with the Chart!Rowing in Eden –
Ah – the Sea!
Might I but moor – tonight –
In thee!
Summary of Wild Nights – Wild Nights
- Popularity of “Wild Nights – Wild Nights”: Emily Dickinson, a distinguished American poet, wrote ‘Wild nights – Wild Nightsfulfillment It is one of the thought-provoking poems known for spiritual madness as well as nature. It was first published in 1891. The poem speaks about the strong passion and hidden desires of the speaker. Its popularity, however, lies in that it deals with the phenomenon of love, exhilaration, and association of these things with the madness as well as the life hereafter.
- “Wild Nights – Wild Nights” As a Representative of Desire: This poem is an expression of joy. The speaker narrates her innermost feelings. The speaker declares that the nights she wants to spend time with her lover are going to be her real treasure. She talks about the satisfaction and joy she will feel about the fulfillment of these intense desires. These desires may be about intimacy, religious, or can also be linked to death. Throughout the poem, she imagines herself with her mate. She also declares that she does not need any navigational tools like a chart and compass because she has reached her desired destination. She envisions a life in which she has nothing to worry about, except for how much she loves her beloved. She imagines herself in the Eden with her lover.
- Major Themes in “Wild Nights – Wild Nights”: Love, fulfillment, and imagination are the major themes of this poem. The poet has beautifully painted the strong bond and passion of two lovers in this literary piece. Her desire is so strong and dominating that it directs her to find a direction for it. Being with the person whom she loves desperately will bring endless joy into her life. Therefore, she calls the nights of their union as “wild nights.”
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Wild Nights – Wild Nights”
literary devices are tools used by writers to convey their emotions, ideas, and themes to make texts more appealing to the reader. Emily Dickinson, too, has used some literary devices in this poem. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been given below.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
“Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /n/ in “Rowing in Eden” and the sounds of /d/ and /s/ in “Wild nights – Wild nights”.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make the readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Done with the Compass”, “Rowing in Eden” and “Might I but moor – tonight.”
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /oo/ in “Might I but moor – tonight” and the sound of /i/ in “Rowing in Eden.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession. For example, the sound of /w/ and /n/ in “Wild nights – Wild nights.”
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. For example, “Wild nights” in the first line of the poem is repeated to emphasize the atmosphere of the night.
- Allusion: Allusion is a belief and an indirect reference of a person, place, thing, or idea of a historical, cultural, political, including literary significance. For example, in the third stanza, the word ‘Eden’ alludes to paradise or real heaven.
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between different persons and objects. For example, ‘sea’ is the metaphor of love, and ‘moor’ stands for attachment with love.
- Symbolism: Symbolism means using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. Here, “sea” symbolizes unbound love, and “nights” symbolize the passion of the speaker.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Wild nights – Wild Nights”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, each comprises four lines in it.
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here, each stanza is a quatrain.
- Free Verse: Free Verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. Here, second and third stanzas are written in a free verse style with no strict rhyme or meter.
- Rhyme Scheme: Although most of the poem is written in free verse form, the rhyme scheme followed by the first stanza is ABBB.
Quotes to be Used
The lines stated below are appropriate to be used by a lover to express his intense and pure love for his beloved.
“Rowing in Eden –
Ah – the Sea!
Might I but moor – tonight –
In thee!”
