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I gave myself to Him—
And took Himself, for Pay,
The solemn contract of a Life
Was ratified, this way—
The Wealth might disappoint—
Myself a poorer prove
Than this great Purchaser suspect,
The Daily Own—of Love
Depreciate the Vision—
But till the Merchant buy—
Still Fable—in the Isles of Spice—
The subtle Cargoes—lie—
At least—'tis Mutual—Risk—
Some—found it—Mutual Gain—
Sweet Debt of Life—Each Night to owe—
Insolvent—every Noon—
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Comments3WOW, THIS POEM REALLY HITS DIFFERENT AFTER STUDYING IT FOR MY ENGLISH HOMEWORK. THE IDEA OF LOVE BEING A SORT OF TRADE OR CONTRACT IS SO UNIQUE. IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE THE POEM IS HIGHLIGHTING THE UNCERTAINTY AND RISK THAT COMES WITH LOVE, WHICH I THINK WE CAN ALL RELATE TO. IT'S A BIT COMPLEX BUT I'M ENJOYING THE DEEP ANALYSIS!
Emily Dickinson's poems always take me back to my youthful reading days, beautifully nostalgic yet complex!
"REALLY STRUCK BY HOW DEEPLY INTROSPECTIVE THIS POEM IS. IT COMBINES THE CONCEPTS OF LOVE AND ECONOMICS IN AN UNDERSTATED YET POWERFUL WAY. IT SPEAKS TO THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF LOVE AS A RISK AND REWARD SCENARIO. I'M MOVED BY ITS HONESTY AND DEPTH."