Symbolism is a matter of opinion in translation. In the poem The Soul selects her own society. There are many different symbols portrayed in, and can be translated in many different ways. To each person this entire poem could translate differently with different meaning. Each symbol turns the meaning another direction based on the reader who is reading it. Deriving their own conclusions that may not be exactly what the author intended.
There are many symbols throughout this poem; none are more outstanding than the main word in the title, the soul. To some the soul may represent a person following a certain course of action, or even selecting their place in this world. The majority is shutting the door and choosing not to be surrounded by the others. Then confronted by another who sees things a bit different, theorizing that the soul and the emperor are two ways of viewing life and the others around them. One sees the others in life as chariots of fire while the emperor sees nothing, shutting off the valves meaning turning off their own personality or emotions hence being “like a stone.”
Some in their thoughts may believe that this poem is about how the soul is searching for its goal. Some people believing that there is after life when people die, their soul will be reborn and search for its own kind. This poem by Emily Dickinson, some may thing that the soul itself is looking and searching for its way through the second journey of life. The soul could perhaps be on a path to its final destination. The soul could even possibly be searching to be reborn, and it needs to way to heaven. One may believe Emily is connecting her poem of the soul, perhaps talking about the way to heaven. She mentions the emperor or god, the chariot or transportation, and the gate. Most of all these sounds like the goal to reach heaven after death. The soul is searching to heaven for reincarnation. Finally in the end of the poem the soul found its way to reunite with its goal.
In a third thought each persons place in life is determined by decision making. The soul could be referring to each individual as a single person within the greater whole of humanity. When you choose your place in the world and who you best fit in with, you separate yourself and close the door to the rest. The door being what separates you from the rest of the societies you chose not to be a part of. The divine majority again is the entire human populace as a whole. Now that the soul has made its decisions it sees where the rest of life is, and sees others such as the emperor who has made their own decision in life as well.
It is interesting that any word in the poem “The soul selects her own society” that could be used as a symbol in this poem is capitalized. The words Soul, Society, Door, Majority, Chariots, Gate, Emperor, Met, Valves, and Stone, are all words used in the strategically capitalized and none of them start the sentences. This is obviously to bring light to those words and thought to their meaning and representation. Each word brings many different ways of representing and translating their meanings as symbols and concepts.
Nick Sampson
Andrew Lor
Palee Xion
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