The
Wife without the Sign –
Acute
Degree conferred on me –
Empress
of Calvary –
Royal,
all but the Crown –
Betrothed,
without the Swoon
God
gives us Women –
When
You hold Garnet to Garnet –
Gold
– to Gold –
Born
– Bridalled – Shrouded –
In
a Day -
Tri
Victory –
"My
Husband" – Women say -
Stroking
the Melody –
Is
this – the way –
-
F194 (1861) 1072
Dickinson
sent this remarkable poem to Samuel Bowles in 1861 with the following message:
“Here’s – what I had to ‘tell you’ –
You will tell no other? Honor – is its own pawn – ”
Actually,
the poem she sent Bowles in 1861 is a little differrent than the
one above – which she sent Sue in
1865. There is a greater urgency in the earlier letter (below) indicated by
exclamation marks and by the italics and question mark in the last line:
Title
divine – is mine!
The
Wife – without the Sign!
Acute
Degree – conferred on me –
Empress
of Calvary!
Royal – all but the Crown!
Betrothed – without the swoon
God
sends us Women –
When
you hold – Garnet to Garnet –
Gold
– to Gold –
Born
– Bridalled – Shrouded –
In
a Day -
"My
Husband" – women say –
Stroking
the Melody –
Is
this – the way?
What
are we to make of this poem? What message is she sending Bowles? There are two parallel interpretations of what the poet
is saying: one, that she has a heavenly title: “Empress of Calvary.” It’s a “Title
divine” that was “conferred” by God. The title was granted
through marriage, for she is a “Wife” (though “without the [earthly] Sign”) and she was “Bridalled”
and has a “Husband” or at least someone standing for a husband. Since Jesus
died on the cross under a sign naming him “King of the Jews,” it seems logical
to assume she has become, as nuns do, the bride of Christ. She upgrades the
union, however, from Queen (to go with "King") to Empress—a strange upgrade on what was, anyway, a mocking title conferred on Jesus by Pilate. Further, there
was a moment of salvation: she was “Born – Bridalled – Shrouded” in just one
day. The “Shrouded” is mysterious, signifying, as it does, Death. However, if one
has been born anew, saved, one might at the same time be dead to this world—or at
least to sin. So she may be telling Bowles that she has indeed had her day of salvation, despite her famous refusal to take the salvation pledge that most of her village and family had taken at about this time.
The
second interpretation would be an announcement of love between herself and an
earthly man (Bowles himself?). Although Dickinson is unable to actually marry (the men she loved
at this time, including Bowles, were already married), there is some evidence
she believes in a spiritual and even heavenly union. The poet, through the
excited tone and punctuation (of the earlier poem), indicates that this spiritual
“marriage” is as exciting as an earthly one. She has the “Title divine,” which
is surely worth more than a
certificate. It comes with a steep cost, however. She had to be crucified in
some way as part of the deal. “Calvary” is the name of the hill where Jesus was
executed. The poet indicates some super-duper crucifixion for she is “Empress”
of that place. She has suffered for this love, this non-marriage marriage. She will never be able to say "My Husband."
![]() |
Dickinson would never have this |
In
this special relationship she also misses out on “the swoon” that “God gives [“sends”
in the earlier version] us Women.” This may mean a sexual swoon or girlish swoon
of emotion or, more likely, both. In the intensity of this swoonless love, she is
born, married, and perished, figuratively, in one day. Some day!
The
last three lines have an exquisite sadness. Ordinary women might speak casually
of their husbands, but they have a special way of saying it. “My husband” might be said nonchalantly, but there would be a bit of pride, maybe, and affection in
the word. To Dickinson’s ear the words are like music and the women stroke the
notes with their voices. “Is this – the way,” she asks wistfully, and we are to
imagine her saying the words with a caress.
It is tempting, however, to
read the poem as an exalted account of making love for the first and probably
last time to the love of one’s life. Having had a meeting of the bodies and
souls, the poet is more truly Wife than whomever holds the paper or wears the
ring or other “Sign.” She had suffered profoundly until this glorious moment.
The “Degree” itself was “Acute,” or sharp and intense. Feeling far from soiled
and fallen, the poet feels “Royal” – and who needs the Crown anyway? She looks
back, though, again wistfully, at the wedding ceremony she will never have, the
paired gold and garnet rings that are exchanged, the “swoon” of ceremony and
moment when the clergyman pronounces the couple man and wife.
What about the line that comes first, "God sends us (US!!) women --"
ReplyDelete"garnet to garnet -- " (same to same)
"gold -- to gold -- " (same to same)
Good point. She did send this poem to Sue eventually. But a wedding ceremony between man and woman would indeed have two wedding rings (although I'm not sure a man's ring at that time would have a garnet or other jewel).
ReplyDeleteDickinson's relationship with Sue was strongest years earlier and continued – with breaks and strains – until Dickinson's death. This poem reads so breathlessly that it seems to refer to something that was experienced (or at least vividly imagined) just prior to its composition. I don't think (but don't know) that it reflects Sue and Emily's relationship at the time.
But thank you for pointing this out. I hadn't thought of the poem in this way -- it's a provocative reading that adds another layer of Dickinsonian allusion.
I don't believe men commonly wore wedding rings in the 19th cent., did they?
ReplyDelete