Purple is – fashionable twice –
This season of the year,
And when a soul perceives itself
To be an Emperor.

     -Fr896, J980, 1865

This is a seemingly simple poem, but it leaves us with some mysteries. The first one is: what season of the year is fashionably purple? 

For me it is probably just before Easter, because purple is the color of Lent, but I kind of doubt Dickinson was thinking of Lent. When I ask Google what season is most associated with purple I get this open-ended answer:

"Winter is generally considered the season most associated with purple in terms of intense, deep, and vibrant shades, while other seasons, like Autumn, lean towards warmer, earthy purples. Winter: Key shades include Royal Purple and Violet which suit the cool and high-contrast nature of the season. Autumn: Features richer, warmer, and muted tones like plum, cassis, and mulberry. Spring: Focuses on lighter, brighter shades like lavender, violet, and hyacinth. Summer: Tends toward softer, smokier, and cooler options like smoked grape, periwinkle, and dusty mauve."

So I guess purple is always in fashion in some shade or other! I doubt Emily meant this either, though it does give an interesting spin to the poem. If purple is fashionable all year round, then the soul is an emperor all year round, no?

Okay, but Dickinson probably didn’t mean purple is always fashionable. So what season is she referring to? If spring is what Emily meant, then the poem takes on a different meaning than if the season is winter.

Also, is Emily making light of a soul perceiving itself as royalty, or is she actually pointing to the soul as a genuine emperor here?

After all, Dickinson doesn’t say the soul is an emperor, only that it feels like one. It perceives itself so. That would point to human tendencies toward self-importance. This feeling is seasonal and fashionable (temporary and subject to change) and self-perceived (possibly illusory).

But then again, Dickinson loved the color purple. She speaks of herself and Sue as Queens in other poems. So I don’t know! Your guess is as good as mine here. 

But for some context, let’s look at Dickinson’s use of purple in other poems. She refers to purple in her poems more than any other color. It’s mentioned in 54 of her poems. That would make a good little book of poems if anyone's got the time and inclination. It would be cool too, all in shades of purple. 

I found a delightful paper on the subject, a deep dive into all the different moods and meanings of purple in Dickinson’s poems. (Cue the Deep Purple riff for “Smoke on the Water.”) The takeaway from this article is that purple is most often seen as sacred in Dickinson’s lexicon. This poem, seen in context with the other poems, would seem to be sincere.

My guess, then, is that this poem is saying that purple is naturally fashionable in the spring, and then again when the soul perceives that it rules. 

I'd love to hear your take. What do you make of this poem? What season are we talking about? Is Dickinson being arch or sincere?

     -
    -/)dam Wade l)eGraff