MELISSA LEON DISCUSISON 9

It lay unmentioned, as the sea
Develops pearl and weed,
But only to himself is known
The fathoms they abide.

From stanza 3, It was like the sea, unmentioned, developing pearls and weeds. But only to himself (life partner) is known the deep secrets they abide. This stanza could be similar to Mrs. Mallard’s emotional state towards her husband’s false death in the story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. Dickinson and Chopin seems to have a strong emotional impact on husbands.

“But now there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought”. (Lines 34-36)

This quotation appears after Louise has gone alone to her room to deal with the news of Brently’s death. After an initial fit of tears, Louise looks out her window at the wide-open spaces below. This quotation is our first hint that Louise’s reaction to Brently’s death will be surprising and that Louise is very different from other women. Whereas most women would gaze reflectively at the sky and clouds, Louise’s gaze suggests something different, something shrewder or more active. What she sees as she gazes out the window is different from what other women would likely see after their husbands have died. Not long after this passage, Louise acknowledges the joyous feeling of independence that Brently’s death has given her. Here, at the window, the first breaths of these feelings are stirring, and her “intelligent thought” will quickly engage once again as she processes these feelings and allows herself to analyze what they mean.