Poem Analysis - Empty My Heart Of Thee

A Desperate Plea for Oblivion

Emily Dickinson's "Empty my Heart, of Thee" is a raw and intensely personal exploration of overwhelming love and the agonizing struggle to escape its grip. The poem unfolds as a desperate plea for emotional detachment, a painful attempt to erase the profound impact of a lost or unattainable love. The tone is initially forceful and determined, verging on violent in its imagery, but gradually shifts to a more despairing and resigned acceptance of the speaker's inextricable connection to the absent "Thee." The poem's mood is a blend of anguish and resolute defiance.

Love as Overwhelming Force

The poem grapples with the theme of love as an all-consuming force, one that threatens to erase the speaker's individual identity. The opening lines, "Empty my Heart, of Thee/Its single Artery," suggest that this love is not merely an emotion but the very lifeblood of the speaker, coursing through her existence. The image of excising this artery is brutal, conveying the pain and violence inherent in the attempt to sever this bond. This hyperbolic language underscores the complete dominance this love has over the speaker, suggesting that without it, she feels she will cease to exist.

The Inevitable Connection

Closely related to the theme of overwhelming love is the theme of inevitable connection. Despite the speaker's fervent desire to "Subtract Thyself," she acknowledges the impossibility of complete separation. The lines "And not enough of me/Is left to put away/Myself meanth Thee" reveal that the speaker's identity is so intertwined with "Thee" that removing the loved one would leave almost nothing behind. The line “Erase the Root no Tree/Thee then no me” strengthens this feeling. The imagery here suggests a deep, inextricable bond, almost a merging of identities.

Absence and Annihilation

The poem explores the theme of absence leading to annihilation. The idea is developed through metaphors of subtraction and emptiness. The Baltic Sea comparison highlights how vast, essential elements of existence can be erased, leaving behind an incomplete or impoverished reality. The metaphor of "Eternity's vast pocket, picked" further emphasizes the sense of loss and the theft of something infinitely precious, leaving the speaker feeling bereft and diminished. The finality of being "stripped" and "picked" from eternity, suggesting that love’s absence not only diminishes earthly existence but also deprives the speaker of a complete spiritual experience.

Symbolism of the "Thee"

The pronoun "Thee," consistently capitalized, functions as a complex symbol within the poem. It represents not only the specific loved one but also a kind of idealized or essentialized love itself. "Thee" could stand for God, a romantic partner, or a powerful emotional force in the speaker's life. The ambiguity of "Thee" allows the poem to resonate with a broader audience, as readers can project their own experiences of intense attachment and loss onto this central figure. The capitalization elevates "Thee" to a position of reverence and underscores its profound importance in the speaker's life.

A Final Yearning

In conclusion, "Empty my Heart, of Thee" is a poignant expression of love's overwhelming power and the agonizing difficulty of severing such a profound connection. Through vivid imagery and a shifting tone, Dickinson captures the speaker's desperate desire for emotional freedom while simultaneously acknowledging the impossibility of complete separation. The poem ultimately suggests that love, even in its absence, can define and shape one's very being, leaving an indelible mark on the heart and soul. Even as the speaker pleads for release, the poem reveals a lingering yearning for the very thing she seeks to escape.