English: Women Writings Notes | B.A. (PROG./ HONS.) Semester 6th

Q1. Identify and critically comment on the following lines :
(a) This being comfort, then
That other kind was pain;
But why compare ?
I'm wife ! Stop there!

Answer -

Introduction

Emily Dickinson was a poet from America, born in 1830. She studied at a girls’ school called Mount Holyoke. In those days, boys and girls lived and studied separately. Dickinson didn’t publish her poems while she was alive, which shows it was hard for women to become poets back then. She wrote about her own feelings and emotions. Her main topics were love, death, nature, and life after death. Her poems also show the impact of religion and gender roles in her time.

“About The Author”

These lines are from Emily Dickinson’s poem “I’m ‘Wife’ I’ve finished that”, which was first published after her death in 1890. The poem explores the theme of womanhood, marriage, and identity. It shows how a woman is expected to accept the role of a wife, even if it means giving up her own sense of self. Through the speaker’s hesitation and inner conflict, Dickinson gently questions the way society expected women to behave during her time.

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“Poem in brief”

In this poem, the speaker says she is no longer a girl she is now a wife. She calls this change powerful, like becoming a Czar (a ruler), but there is also a feeling of confusion and hesitation in her words. She compares her life before marriage to Earth real, active, and alive. Her life after marriage is like Heaven calm and safe. She describes marriage as a “soft eclipse”, which means it gently hides or covers her true self. Being a wife gives her comfort and safety, but she also feels that it takes away her old, free identity. She begins to question whether her life as a girl was actually better. But before she can think deeply, she suddenly stops herself and says, “I’m Wife! Stop there!”

This shows how society expects women to accept their role as wives without questioning it. Even though the poem is about marriage, the word “marriage” is never used. Emily Dickinson herself never married, so the poem might reflect her doubts about how marriage can limit a woman’s identity and freedom.

Explanation : In these lines, the speaker is trying to convince herself that being a wife means a life full of comfort and safety. So, she says that if this life (as a wife) is comfortable, then the other kind of life before marriage, when she was a girl must have
been painful. But she doesn’t clearly call it “girlhood.” She only says “that other kind”, which shows that she is hesitant or unsure. Maybe deep down, she misses that earlier life or liked it, but now, as a wife, she feels she shouldn’t question it.

• These lines show how society teaches women that marriage is the only right path,
and anything else must be wrong or full of pain. But the speaker seems to have
doubts about this idea.

Explanation : In this stanza, the speaker is trying to stop herself from thinking too deeply. She had been thinking about her past life as a single woman, which she doesn't directly mention, and comparing it to her current life as a wife. When she says, “But why compare?”, she is trying to silence her own thoughts. Then she says, “I’m ‘Wife’! Stop there!”, which shows that once a woman becomes a wife, she is not supposed to question it, or think about what she may have lost. Society expects her to accept it fully, without doubts or comparisons. This shows hows trongly society’s rules affect women so much so that they stop themselves from even thinking differently.

Overall, she believes that married life brings comfort, happiness, and security. Even though she feels unsure and wants to question things, she feels like she has to accept her role as a wife, believing it will bring peace and fulfillment. But her doubts show that she is torn between what society expects and what she truly wants.

Conclusion
Emily Dickinson shows how becoming a wife can change a woman’s identity. The speaker feels safe but also confused, as if she has lost a part of herself. She wants to think about her past life, but stops herself because society expects women to accept marriage without question. Through this, Dickinson gently questions the pressure society puts on women to follow fixed roles.

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