Poem Analysis - Severer Service Of Myself

Emily Dickinson's "Severer Service of Myself" is a raw and unflinching exploration of grief and the futile attempts to escape its grip. The poem plunges into the speaker's desperate efforts to outrun sorrow through self-imposed hardship and mental exhaustion. The tone is initially determined and almost defiant, but it gradually shifts towards a resigned acceptance of grief's inescapable nature. It is a powerful testament to the limitations of human will against the overwhelming force of loss, and the ultimate solace found (or not found) in confronting reality.

Grief as a Vacuum: A Central Theme

One of the central themes is the overwhelming nature of grief and the desperate measures taken to cope with it. The poem begins with the image of an "awful Vacuum" left by the departure of someone significant, suggesting a profound sense of emptiness and loss. The speaker's desire for "Severer Service" implies a belief that by pushing herself to the extreme, she can somehow fill this void. The act of 'demanding' severer service of herself demonstrates the speaker's active attempt to manage her emotional landscape through rigorous discipline and self-imposed hardship.

The Futility of Escape: Nature's Unyielding Power

Another theme revolves around the futility of trying to escape grief through sheer willpower or exertion. The speaker's efforts to "weary Brain and Bone" and "harass to fatigue" are ultimately unsuccessful, underscoring the limitations of the human body and mind in overcoming emotional pain. The lines "I worried Nature with my Wheels / When Hers had ceased to run" create an image of the speaker as a relentless machine attempting to override natural processes. Nature becomes symbolic of the body's limitations and the inevitability of emotional response. The speaker is not successful in stopping or controlling nature, and she is not successful in stopping her grief.

Darkness and Disillusionment: The Inescapable Reality

The poem also explores the disillusionment that comes with the realization that there is no easy fix for grief. The lines "Affliction would not be appeased / The Darkness braced as firm" convey the speaker's growing despair as her strategies fail to alleviate her suffering. The "Darkness" becomes a symbol for the all-encompassing nature of grief. The concluding lines, "No Drug for Consciousness can be / Alternative to die / Is Nature’s only Pharmacy / For Being’s Malady," offer a stark and somewhat bleak perspective. There is no escape from feeling, no medication that can numb the pain of existence, and this reality is imposed by the very nature of being. Perhaps this represents a sort of acceptance as the only path forward, albeit a difficult one. Is the "alternative to die" a literal or metaphorical death?

Symbols and Their Meanings

Several symbols enrich the poem's meaning. The "Vacuum" represents the absence and emptiness left by loss. The "Wheels" symbolize the relentless, almost mechanical effort the speaker makes to distract herself from her grief. The "glittering Retinue of nerves" and "Vitality" evoke the speaker's physical and mental resources, which she attempts to exhaust. The symbols highlight the speaker's battle against her own emotions and the physical and mental costs of that struggle. The phrase "The Midnight to confirm" represents the finality and solidifying of the speaker's grief.

Final Thoughts: The Weight of Existence

In conclusion, "Severer Service of Myself" is a poignant exploration of grief and the human struggle to cope with profound loss. Through vivid imagery and a shifting tone, Dickinson reveals the futility of trying to escape sorrow through sheer force of will. The poem suggests that while we may strive to control our emotions, the reality of human existence is that certain pains are inescapable. The final lines imply a grudging acceptance of this truth, acknowledging that the only real remedy for the "Malady" of being is to confront it head-on, even if that means enduring the weight of grief. The poem is a stark reminder of the limitations of human agency and the enduring power of nature.