Introduction: “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
“I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson first appeared in 1891, in the posthumous collection Poems: Second Series, edited by Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd. Known for its enigmatic style, the poem showcases several of Dickinson’s key literary qualities: vivid imagery, personification of nature, and a contemplative tone. In this poem, Dickinson depicts a journey to the sea, symbolizing an encounter between the individual and nature’s vast, powerful forces. The main idea revolves around the speaker’s exploration of boundaries—both physical and metaphorical—as she encounters the overwhelming majesty of the ocean, ultimately retreating from its depths, reflecting a balance between curiosity and caution.
Text: “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
I started Early – Took my Dog –
And visited the Sea –
The Mermaids in the Basement
Came out to look at me –
And Frigates – in the Upper Floor
Extended Hempen Hands –
Presuming Me to be a Mouse –
Aground – opon the Sands –
But no Man moved Me – till the Tide
Went past my simple Shoe –
And past my Apron – and my Belt
And past my Boddice – too –
And made as He would eat me up –
As wholly as a Dew
Opon a Dandelion’s Sleeve –
And then – I started – too –
And He – He followed – close behind –
I felt His Silver Heel
Opon my Ancle – Then My Shoes
Would overflow with Pearl –
Until We met the Solid Town –
No One He seemed to know –
And bowing – with a Mighty look –
At me – The Sea withdrew –
Annotations: “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
| Line | Annotation |
| I started Early – Took my Dog – | The speaker embarks on a journey, with her dog as a companion, setting a casual and intimate tone. |
| And visited the Sea – | The speaker reaches the sea, a symbol of nature, vastness, and the unknown. |
| The Mermaids in the Basement | “Mermaids” personify the mythical and magical aspects of the sea, suggesting a fantastical interpretation. |
| Came out to look at me – | The sea creatures, intrigued, observe the speaker, giving the sea an animated, sentient quality. |
| And Frigates – in the Upper Floor | “Frigates” (large ships) represent human activity in the sea, contrasting with the mermaids’ mysterious nature. |
| Extended Hempen Hands – | The ships’ ropes (“hempen hands”) seem to reach out toward the speaker, possibly menacing or protective. |
| Presuming Me to be a Mouse – | The speaker feels small and insignificant in the presence of these powerful entities. |
| Aground – opon the Sands – | The speaker is on the shore, grounded, implying a place of safety or vulnerability against the vast sea. |
| But no Man moved Me – till the Tide | No human presence influences the speaker; it is nature itself—the rising tide—that begins to move her. |
| Went past my simple Shoe – | The water starts to rise, initially in a gentle, harmless way, symbolizing the encroachment of nature. |
| And past my Apron – and my Belt | The tide continues to rise, submerging more of the speaker, suggesting a deepening immersion in nature. |
| And past my Boddice – too – | The water reaches even higher, evoking both physical immersion and a symbolic engulfing by natural forces. |
| And made as He would eat me up – | The tide (personified as “He”) seems as though it will consume the speaker entirely, conveying danger. |
| As wholly as a Dew | The speaker compares herself to delicate dew, emphasizing her vulnerability to nature’s overwhelming force. |
| Opon a Dandelion’s Sleeve – | A fragile image that conveys how easily nature can overwhelm small, delicate things. |
| And then – I started – too – | The speaker finally reacts, starting to move, possibly out of fear or self-preservation. |
| And He – He followed – close behind – | The sea continues to follow her, relentless in its pursuit, reinforcing its powerful, omnipresent nature. |
| I felt His Silver Heel | “Silver Heel” refers to the shining waves or the tide itself, symbolizing the continuous pull of the sea. |
| Opon my Ancle – Then My Shoes | The water reaches her ankles and shoes, creating an image of nature seeping into her life. |
| Would overflow with Pearl – | The water brings pearls, a symbol of beauty and mystery, highlighting the duality of nature as both dangerous and alluring. |
| Until We met the Solid Town – | The speaker reaches the safety of the town, a symbol of civilization and stability, contrasting the fluidity of the sea. |
| No One He seemed to know – | The sea, now estranged from the town, represents an outsider, emphasizing the divide between nature and society. |
| And bowing – with a Mighty look – | The sea, personified, respectfully withdraws, acknowledging the boundary between itself and human life. |
| At me – The Sea withdrew – | The sea retreats, leaving the speaker with a sense of having confronted and survived nature’s immense power. |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
| Literary Device | Definition | Example from Poem | Explanation |
| Anaphora | Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines. | “And past my Apron – and my Belt / And past my Boddice – too –” | The repetition of “And past” emphasizes the rising tide and the increasing danger. |
| Assonance | The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words. | “He followed – close behind –” | The repetition of the “o” sound in “followed” and “close” creates a smooth, melodic quality. |
| Consonance | The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words. | “And Frigates – in the Upper Floor / Extended Hempen Hands” | The “n” and “s” sounds are repeated, adding to the musical quality of the line. |
| Enjambment | The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line. | “And made as He would eat me up – / As wholly as a Dew” | The sentence flows from one line to the next without a pause, creating a sense of continuity. |
| Hyperbole | Exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally. | “And made as He would eat me up” | The idea of the sea “eating” the speaker is an exaggeration of the overwhelming power of nature. |
| Imagery | Language that appeals to the senses, creating vivid pictures. | “Silver Heel / Opon my Ancle” | Vivid visual imagery is used to describe the rising tide as it touches the speaker’s body. |
| Irony | A contrast between expectation and reality. | “No One He seemed to know” | The sea, so powerful and ever-present, becomes unfamiliar in the structured “Solid Town.” |
| Metaphor | A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. | “The Sea withdrew” | The sea is metaphorically personified as a force that can act with agency, bowing and withdrawing. |
| Metonymy | A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. | “Silver Heel” | The “Silver Heel” represents the waves or tide, using a part of the sea to refer to the whole. |
| Onomatopoeia | A word that imitates the sound it represents. | “Overflow” | The word “overflow” mimics the sound and sensation of water spilling over, creating a sound effect. |
| Oxymoron | A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. | “Simple Shoe” | The simplicity of the shoe contrasts with the complexity and power of the sea, creating an ironic juxtaposition. |
| Paradox | A statement that appears self-contradictory but reveals a truth. | “Presuming Me to be a Mouse” | The speaker feels insignificant in the vastness of the sea, yet her presence is powerful enough to inspire action from the sea. |
| Personification | Attributing human characteristics to non-human things. | “And He – He followed – close behind” | The sea is personified as “He,” capable of actions such as following and retreating, making it a sentient force. |
| Repetition | Reusing words or phrases for emphasis. | “And past my Apron – and my Belt / And past my Boddice – too –” | The repetition of “And past” emphasizes the overwhelming force of the rising tide. |
| Simile | A comparison using “like” or “as.” | “As wholly as a Dew / Opon a Dandelion’s Sleeve” | The speaker compares herself to dew, fragile and easily overwhelmed by the sea. |
| Symbolism | The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. | The Sea | The sea symbolizes nature’s vast, powerful, and uncontrollable forces, contrasting with human fragility. |
| Synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole. | “Frigates – in the Upper Floor” | “Frigates” represents the ships in the sea, with the “Upper Floor” symbolizing the sky above. |
| Tone | The attitude or mood expressed by the writer. | “And then – I started – too –” | The tone shifts from calm curiosity to apprehension and awe as the speaker faces the power of the sea. |
| Vivid Detail | The use of specific, descriptive language to create clear pictures in the reader’s mind. | “My Shoes / Would overflow with Pearl” | The description of shoes overflowing with pearls creates a vivid image of the sea’s richness and beauty. |
Themes: “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
- Nature’s Power and Mystery
- One of the central themes in “I started Early — Took my Dog —” is the overwhelming power and enigmatic nature of the sea, which symbolizes the broader forces of nature. The speaker ventures toward the sea, initially as an observer, but quickly finds herself submerged in its rising tides: “And past my Apron – and my Belt / And past my Boddice – too.” The personification of the sea, particularly in lines like “And He – He followed – close behind,” highlights nature’s relentless and unpredictable force. The speaker’s final retreat from the sea suggests that while nature can be alluring and beautiful, it also possesses a dangerous, uncontrollable power that compels respect.
- Human Vulnerability
- Dickinson explores human vulnerability in the face of nature’s vastness. The speaker’s smallness and fragility are emphasized throughout the poem, particularly in the metaphor where she compares herself to “Dew / Opon a Dandelion’s Sleeve,” implying how easily she could be overwhelmed by the sea. Her reference to being “Presumed…to be a Mouse” by the Frigates further illustrates her insignificance in the grand scheme of the natural world. The rising tide, described in detail as it moves higher on her body, symbolizes how close she comes to being consumed, underlining humanity’s susceptibility to forces beyond its control.
- The Boundary Between Nature and Civilization
- The contrast between nature and civilization is evident in the poem, particularly in the closing lines. The speaker ventures into the wildness of the sea, but she ultimately returns to “the Solid Town,” a place of structure, safety, and familiarity. The sea, personified as a male figure, “bowing – with a Mighty look,” respects the boundaries of civilization, retreating as the speaker re-enters human space. This juxtaposition between the fluid, unpredictable sea and the structured, grounded town reflects a broader theme of the division between nature’s chaos and human attempts to create order and safety.
- Exploration and Curiosity
- The poem also reflects a theme of exploration, both literal and metaphorical. The speaker begins the poem with the intention to explore: “I started Early – Took my Dog – / And visited the Sea –.” Her journey can be seen as a metaphor for venturing into the unknown, driven by curiosity about nature’s depths and mysteries. However, as she progresses deeper into the sea’s embrace, her curiosity shifts to caution. The sea’s power grows overwhelming, and she is forced to retreat: “And then – I started – too.” This theme speaks to the human desire to explore the world around us, balanced by the need to recognize and respect its limits.
Literary Theories and “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
| Literary Theory | Explanation | Application to “I started Early — Took my Dog —” | References from the Poem |
| Feminist Literary Theory | Examines how literature perpetuates or challenges the roles and power dynamics of gender, particularly the experiences of women. | Through the lens of feminist theory, the poem can be interpreted as a reflection on the female experience of autonomy and vulnerability in a male-dominated world. The sea, personified as “He,” can be seen as a representation of masculine power. The speaker’s retreat from the sea after its attempts to “consume” her can be viewed as a woman’s struggle to maintain autonomy in the face of overwhelming, external male forces. | “And made as He would eat me up” – the sea, personified as a male figure, threatens to overpower the speaker, reflecting themes of male dominance and female vulnerability. |
| Ecocriticism | Focuses on the relationship between literature and the natural environment, often examining how nature is portrayed and the ethical concerns related to human interaction with the environment. | Ecocriticism would examine how the poem portrays the sea as a powerful, uncontrollable force of nature, which both draws the speaker in and pushes her back. The speaker’s interaction with the sea reflects a larger commentary on the human relationship with nature—its beauty and allure, but also its capacity to overwhelm. This theory can explore the poem’s representation of nature’s autonomy and humanity’s insignificance within it. | “And He – He followed – close behind – / I felt His Silver Heel / Opon my Ancle –” – The sea’s force is presented as something that moves of its own accord, not easily contained or understood by humans. |
| Psychoanalytic Criticism | Analyzes literature in terms of psychological theories, especially those of Freud or Jung, focusing on unconscious desires, fears, or anxieties within characters or the text. | The poem can be viewed through a psychoanalytic lens as an exploration of the unconscious mind and repressed fears. The speaker’s journey to the sea can represent a descent into the unconscious, where the sea becomes a symbol of deep, hidden emotions or anxieties. Her eventual retreat might suggest a fear of being consumed by these emotions, with the sea’s pursuit representing the persistence of the unconscious mind in surfacing repressed thoughts or fears. | “As wholly as a Dew / Opon a Dandelion’s Sleeve –” – The delicate, ephemeral image may symbolize the fragility of the human psyche when confronted with overwhelming subconscious fo |
Critical Questions about “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
- What is the significance of the speaker’s relationship with the sea in the poem?
- The speaker’s relationship with the sea in “I started Early — Took my Dog —” symbolizes both attraction and danger, reflecting a complex dynamic between humanity and nature. Throughout the poem, the speaker approaches the sea with curiosity, initially observing the mermaids and ships. As the tide rises, however, the sea becomes more menacing: “And made as He would eat me up.” The sea, personified as a male figure, represents both the allure of the unknown and its overwhelming, consuming power. The speaker’s eventual retreat suggests a recognition of the boundaries between herself and the vastness of nature. The sea’s final gesture, as it “withdrew,” symbolizes the temporary interaction between human and nature, where the speaker escapes before being fully overwhelmed.
- How does the poem explore the theme of human vulnerability?
- The theme of human vulnerability is central to Dickinson’s poem, as the speaker confronts the immense power of nature. The rising tide progressively envelops the speaker, first touching her “simple Shoe,” then moving “past my Apron – and my Belt / And past my Boddice – too.” This gradual submersion highlights the speaker’s physical vulnerability in the face of nature’s unstoppable force. Additionally, the metaphor of the speaker as “Dew / Opon a Dandelion’s Sleeve” underscores her fragility, suggesting that she, like the dew, could easily be swept away by the sea. The sea’s relentless advance, personified as “He,” contrasts sharply with the speaker’s diminutive and fragile existence, emphasizing the power imbalance between nature and humanity.
- What role does imagery play in developing the poem’s mood?
- Imagery plays a crucial role in shaping the mood of the poem, transitioning from curiosity to apprehension and awe. The early images of “Mermaids in the Basement” and “Frigates in the Upper Floor” evoke a sense of wonder, as the speaker observes the sea’s fantastical elements. However, as the poem progresses, the mood shifts to one of tension and uncertainty as the tide begins to rise. The detailed imagery of water passing the speaker’s apron, belt, and bodice creates a vivid sense of danger, as the speaker is slowly engulfed. The final image of her shoes “overflow[ing] with Pearl” blends beauty with the looming threat of the sea, reinforcing the ambivalent mood, where nature is both alluring and potentially destructive.
- How does Dickinson use personification to enhance the theme of nature’s power?
- Dickinson uses personification extensively in the poem to enhance the theme of nature’s power by giving the sea human-like qualities. The sea is personified as a male figure, referred to as “He,” who actively interacts with the speaker. For example, the sea “followed – close behind” the speaker, giving it agency and a sense of relentless pursuit. The description of the sea as preparing to “eat me up” further underscores its potential danger. By attributing these human characteristics to the sea, Dickinson transforms it from a passive natural force into an active, powerful entity capable of engulfing the speaker. This personification heightens the tension between the human and the natural world, emphasizing nature’s ability to overpower and dominate.
Literary Works Similar to “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
- “The Sea” by James Reeves
Both poems personify the sea as a living, powerful entity, reflecting its dual nature as beautiful yet potentially dangerous. - “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
Like Dickinson’s poem, “Dover Beach” explores the emotional and existential impact of the sea, using it as a metaphor for human vulnerability and the unknown. - “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This poem, similar to Dickinson’s, reflects on the inevitable cycle of nature and the insignificance of human life in the face of natural forces. - “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Tennyson’s poem, like Dickinson’s, uses the sea as a symbol for the boundary between life and death, highlighting themes of exploration and departure. - “To the Sea” by Philip Larkin
Both Larkin and Dickinson reflect on the sea’s mysterious allure, using vivid imagery to capture its emotional and symbolic resonance.
Representative Quotations of “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “I started Early – Took my Dog –” | The speaker begins her journey to the sea, a place of curiosity and exploration. | Psychoanalytic Criticism: The beginning of a metaphorical journey into the subconscious. |
| “The Mermaids in the Basement / Came out to look at me –” | The speaker imagines mystical creatures, suggesting an otherworldly connection with nature. | Ecocriticism: Nature is depicted as magical and alive, with its own forms of life observing humanity. |
| “And Frigates – in the Upper Floor / Extended Hempen Hands –” | Ships, personified with human-like “hands,” exist in the higher realm of the sea, contrasting with the mermaids below. | Feminist Literary Theory: The ships represent structures of human (male) power, contrasted with the feminine, mythical mermaids. |
| “Presuming Me to be a Mouse – / Aground – opon the Sands –” | The speaker feels small and insignificant in the vastness of nature. | Existentialism: Highlights the individual’s insignificance in the grand scheme of the universe. |
| “But no Man moved Me – till the Tide / Went past my simple Shoe –” | The speaker remains untouched by human influence until nature begins to affect her directly. | Feminist Literary Theory: Suggests independence from male influence, with nature as the true force affecting the speaker. |
| “And made as He would eat me up – / As wholly as a Dew” | The tide, personified as “He,” threatens to consume the speaker, symbolizing nature’s power. | Psychoanalytic Criticism: Represents the unconscious mind’s overwhelming power to consume the self. |
| “And He – He followed – close behind – / I felt His Silver Heel” | The sea continues to pursue the speaker, personified as a male figure, suggesting tension between the self and nature. | Gender Theory: The sea, personified as male, reflects traditional notions of male pursuit and dominance over the female subject. |
| “Would overflow with Pearl –” | The rising tide threatens to flood the speaker’s shoes, turning the natural force into something both beautiful and dangerous. | Marxist Theory: Nature’s beauty (the pearls) can be overwhelming and potentially hazardous when not controlled or understood. |
| “Until We met the Solid Town – / No One He seemed to know –” | The speaker reaches the town, a place of safety, where the sea becomes foreign and retreats. | Ecocriticism: Reflects the divide between human civilization and the untamable forces of nature. |
| “And bowing – with a Mighty look – / At me – The Sea withdrew –” | The sea, as a sentient force, respectfully retreats after its encounter with the speaker. | Psychoanalytic Criticism: The sea represents repressed desires or fears that, after being confronted, recede into the unconscious. |
Suggested Readings: “I started Early — Took my Dog —” by Emily Dickenson
- Humiliata, Mary. “Emily Dickinson-Mystic Poet?” College English, vol. 12, no. 3, 1950, pp. 144–49. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/372528. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
- ARCHER, SETH. “‘I Had a Terror’: Emily Dickinson’s Demon.” Southwest Review, vol. 94, no. 2, 2009, pp. 255–73. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43472987. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
- Bonheim, Helmut. “Narrative Technique in Emily Dickinson’s ‘My Life Had Stood a Loaded Gun.’” The Journal of Narrative Technique, vol. 18, no. 3, 1988, pp. 258–68. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30225225. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
- Sobolev, Dennis. “Metaphor Revisited.” New Literary History, vol. 39, no. 4, 2008, pp. 903–29. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20533122. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.