Emily Dickinson never married. This poem about marriage portrays it as the end of summer and a lifelong prison sentence, locking the woman away from society and freedom of movement. She lived in a repressive society (much more than today’s), but by secluding herself she kept up her free spirit. Her attitude and her symbols are a lot like Utena’s.
After summer, the “ripeness” to others is none. “Sentence” means prison sentence, as the manacles make clear. The icicle is a phallic symbol.
Jay Scott <jay@satirist.org>
first posted 18 February 2024