To Be or Not to Bee

We all know that Emily Dickinson, the famous poet, never married, but it is obvious from her poetry that she understood love quite well.  Often labeled a “reclose,” Dickinson seems to be okay with the freedom that comes along with being by herself, as apparent in her poem, “Could I but ride indefinite.”

Falling under the nature category of Dickinson’s poetry, this poem creates an interesting juxtaposition between a meadow-bee that is free to fly wherever it pleases and Dickinson who wishes she had that same freedom.  She is in awe that the meadow-bee has the ability to fly all over without a care.

The meadow-bee is able to visit where he likes, flirting all day with buttercups (a type of flower), and dwelling a little everywhere.  The speaker of the poem (I’m assuming it is Dickinson), wishes she could marry anyone.  For a woman of her time period, it would have been frowned upon for a woman to display agency enabling her to basically select her own husband.  Perhaps not marrying at all was her way of pushing against society’s standards. 

The speaker also states that she wishes she could run away with no one to chase her.  It is not clear in the poem who she is trying to get away from.  Who do you think Dickinson is addressing when she says, “till I should jump peninsulas to get away from you"?

Dickinson’s overall tone in the poem is certainly not one of loneliness.  It seems like she is quite adamant that she does not want the company of a man to chase her around.  She wants to be free like the meadow-bee to roam as she pleases.

Works Cited

Dickinson, Emily. “Could I but ride indefinite.” Bartleby.com. 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.