Linda's Literary Home

Tag: ego

  • Emily Dickinson’s “I gave myself to Him”

    Image: Emily Dickinson - Amherst College - Daguerrotype of the poet at age 17, circa 1847 - likely the only authentic, extant likeness of the poet
    Image: Emily Dickinson – Amherst College – Daguerrotype of the poet at age 17, circa 1847 – likely the only authentic, extant likeness of the poet

    Emily Dickinson’s “I gave myself to Him”

    The speaker in Emily Dickinson’s “I gave myself to Him” is musing on the imbalance that remains even after one has surrendered one’s life to God the Creator.

    Introduction and Text of “I gave myself to Him”

    The speaker in Emily Dickinson’s “I gave myself to Him” is exploring the idea that after having devoted her attention to the Creator by giving herself “to Him,” she finds that the giving of such a gift cannot be mutual.  She suggests the idea that the gift of herself will surely disappoint the Giver and Creator of all things.

    She leaves open the notion there may be some mutual gain because “[s]ome” have “found it” so.  She is likely referring to testimony from the saints who assure their listening audience of the great riches attained by such surrender to God.

    The speaker is likely reassuring herself that such a bargain cannot bring about an occasion to boast, nor can it eliminate the necessity to remain humble.  Her ultimate conclusion may seem pessimistic at first. 

    However, God remains the ultimate authority to which the human heart, mind, and soul must surrender regardless of any emphasis of mutuality in considering gain and loss.  Thus without stating the conclusion directly, the speaker is implying that the human debt to God has to remain insolvent until the soul grasps its relationship to its Creator.

    I gave myself to Him

    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 –

    Commentary on “I gave myself to Him”

    The speaker is exploring the nature of her relationship with her Divine Creator, the Heavenly Father, Divine Mother, or God.  Although she professes to have given her life to her Creator or Heavenly Father, she discovers that she still owes a debt that can never fully be repaid.

    First Stanza:  Surrendering Her Life to the Divine 

    I gave myself to Him –
    And took Himself, for Pay,
    The solemn contract of a Life
    Was ratified, this way –

    The speaker begins with a somewhat ambiguous statement that she has given herself to “Him.”  The capitalized, masculine pronoun “Him” indicates she is likely referring to her Creator (God).  Such capitalization is known as reverential or biblical capitalization.  She continues to employ the reverential capital in the second line with the reflexive, masculine pronoun “Himself.” 

    The idea of giving oneself or one’s life to God is hardly a novel one.  The religious and spiritual minded become positively gleeful at the notion of surrendering their lives to their Creator.  So upon first encountering the speaker’s claim, the reader will then wonder what new or fascinating rendition of such a confession might be in the offing.

    The speaker then begins to elaborate.  After surrendering herself to God, the speaker affirms that her life became a reality. Her “contract” offers her “Pay,” or something substantial for her surrender.

    That contract, in fact, “ratified” her existence.  Just as a political contract, such as the American Constitution, had to be ratified, the speaker’s life was ratified or put into existence by affirmation by the contract she made when she gave her life to God.

    Second Stanza:  An Economics (Trade) Metaphor 

    The Wealth might disappoint –
    Myself a poorer prove
    Than this great Purchaser suspect,
    The Daily Own – of Love

    The speaker then admits that the “Purchaser” of her insignificant life might well be disappointed because she may prove to be “poorer” than the Purchaser of her contract might have suspected.

    The “great Purchaser” (God) may find that her ability to offer love may not be up to the standards He might expect.  Of course, she is demonstrating her ability to remain humble because she is well aware that God’s love will always outweigh, outshine, and outpace her own.

    Likely she is simply thinking of or musing on possibilities, as she employs an economics (trade) metaphor with such terms as “wealth,” “Purchaser,” and “Own.”   She cannot know how important this life choice is going to be for her ability to love or to navigate the seas upon which her life’s boat will have to sail.  

    The speaker can only contemplate at this point, although she does know she can be certain that God’s love will always be greater than she could ever afford; the inevitability of such remains a given, a concept that even the most ardent atheist can grasp even if not accept.

    Third Stanza:  Speculating on Her Importance

    Depreciate the Vision –
    But till the Merchant buy –
    Still Fable – in the Isles of Spice –
    The subtle Cargoes – lie –

    The speaker continues to muse and employ a trade metaphor.  She suggests that one must lower expectations until the time has arrived to sell the product.  Although she has, in fact, given her life over to the “Purchaser,” she has continued to speculate about her own importance.  

    Thus she wonders if she might have oversold her own self in the process.  She then suggests that like the precious “Cargoes” that remain in places from which rich spices are harvested, she may have presented herself as a fabulous commodity that is yet to be realized, like those “subtle Cargoes.”  They remain “subtle” until they are delivered.  And until they are delivered they simply rest or “lie” in one place.

    Fourth Stanza:  Equal Loss – Equal Gain

    At least – ’tis Mutual – Risk –
    Some – found it – Mutual Gain –
    Sweet Debt of Life – Each Night to owe –
    Insolvent – every Noon –

    Finally, the speaker seems to come to the notion that the exchange is not all one-sided:  there may be a chance of failure on both sides.  Yet, she asserts that there are those (saints perhaps?) who have declared that such a transaction garners gain on both sides.

    After all, each night when the human body lies down to rest, it owes a debt for its life.  As all debts must be repaid, that same body with a mind, heart, and soul continues to own that debt, which remains “insolvent” in the bright light of day.

    While night time reminds the human ego as it prays to its Creator that it has not created itself, still it must remain aware to Whom it owes its continued existence.  The speaker’s insolvency will remain because the limited human mind and heart can never repay the debt it owes its all-powerful Creator and Benefactor; only the soul can do that.

  • Langston Hughes’ “Madam’s Calling Cards”

    Image: Langston Hughes - Eakins Press Foundation - photo by Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Inspired-by-poet-Hughes-Influential-writer-was-2875941.php
    Image: Langston Hughes – Eakins Press Foundation – photo by Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964)

    Langston Hughes’ “Madam’s Calling Cards”

    Alberta K. Johnson is a character in Langston Hughes’ twelve-poem set called “Madam to You.” In this poem, she has herself some name cards printed up.

    Introduction with Text of “Madam’s Calling Cards”

    One of Langston Hughes’ great strengths as poet was his ability to advance character studies.  He brings his characters to life by demonstrating their human quirkiness.  In this series of studies of the character Alberta K. Johnson, Hughes has fashioned a fascinating little set of dramas that entertain as well as enlighten.

    Langston Hughes’ poem “Madam’s Calling Cards” is from a twelve-poem series, titled “Madam to You,” which offers a character study of a woman named Alberta K. Johnson.  The character, Alberta K. Johnson, always insists that people call her “Madam.” Each poem in the “Madam to You” series uses a personality quirk of Alberta’s to convey some aspect of her character. 

    The other titles of the poems in the series are “Madam’s Past History,” “Madam and her Madam,” “Madam and the Rent Man,” “Madam and the Number Writer,” “Madam and the Phone Bill,” “Madam and the Charity Child,” “Madam and the Fortune Teller,” “Madam and the Wrong Visitor,” “Madam and the Minister,” “Madam and the Might-Have-Been,” and “Madam and the Census Man.” 

    The poem, “Madam’s Calling Cards,” consists of five quatrains, each with the rime scheme, ABCB.  The chief feature of the character Madam Alberta K. Johnson is how down to earth she is, while at the same time wishing to assert an air of distinction.

    Madam’s Calling Cards

    I had some cards printed
    The other day.
    They cost me more
    Than I wanted to pay.

    I told the man
    I wasn’t no mint,
    But I hankered to see
    My name in print.

    MADAM JOHNSON,
    ALBERTA K.
    He said, Your name looks good
    Madam’d that way.

    Shall I use Old English
    Or a Roman letter?
    I said, Use American.
    American’s better.

    There’s nothing foreign
    To my pedigree:
    Alberta K. Johnson—
    American that’s me.


    Reading

    Commentary on “Madam’s Calling Cards”

    Alberta K. Johnson is a character in Langston Hughes’ twelve-poem set called “Madam to You.” In this poem, she has herself some name cards printed up.  Seeing her name in print seems to set her off from the crowd.  She wishes to assert that fact that she is special.

    Yet at the same time she wishes to assert her common status as an American, emphasizing that she has no foreign pedigree.  Of course, Alberta is opining well before the Reverend Jesse Jackson persuaded Americans to assign a foreign pedigree to all black Americans.

    First Stanza:  Wanted to See Name in Print

    I had some cards printed
    The other day.
    They cost me more
    Than I wanted to pay.

    Alberta K. Johnson is speaking; she tells her listeners that a few days ago, she had some cards printed, and it cost more than she had hoped to pay for such a printing job.  Alberta speaks quite plainly—even if she does so in riming quatrains.  Alberta just wanted to see her name in print, so she hatched the idea of having “calling cards” printed.

    Second Stanza:  Too Expensive!

    I told the man
    I wasn’t no mint,
    But I hankered to see
    My name in print.

    Alberta continues to elaborate on the situation, involving the process of having her cards printed. She reports her conversation with the printer of the cards. She was not happy about how expensive it was just to get her cards printed.  She told the printer that she wasn’t a “mint.”  Even though her funds were limited, still she wanted to see her name printed somewhere.

    Therefore, she settled on having a card printed up, and of course that meant  she had to spring for this expenditure.  Because she continued to desire seeing her name in print,  she continued with the transaction, despite its exorbitant pricing.

    Third Stanza:   Supplying the Ego 

    MADAM JOHNSON,
    ALBERTA K.
    He said, Your name looks good
    Madam’d that way.

    Alberta then shifts to the process of readying the type for printing. She had her named specified, “MADAM JOHNSON, ALBERTA K.”   The printer remarks that her name, with the Madam attached to it and all.  Of course, it is only natural that the printer would encourage her in her expensive endeavor; after all, he is being paid to supply Alberta’s ego with an object.  

    Thus, the printer tells Alberta that her name looks good, as he employs the term “Madam’d”; her name with Madam affix to it became all madamed up.  Alberta no doubt wholeheartedly approves.

    Fourth Stanza:  American Style

    Shall I use Old English
    Or a Roman letter?
    I said, Use American.
    American’s better.

    The printer asks Alberta what style of lettering she prefers, for example, “Old English” or “Roman”; Alberta replies that she wants him to “Use American.”   She insists that “American’s better.”  

    Of course, she is unaware that there is no particular type called “American.” She was simply confused by the foreign sounding “Old English” and “Roman,” which are, of course, part of the American style. 

    Fifth Stanza:   Not a Foreigner

    There’s nothing foreign
    To my pedigree:
    Alberta K. Johnson—
    American that’s me.

    Alberta then repeats and emphasizes the importance of keeping her calling cards lettered in the American style. She insists that “there is nothing foreign” about “[her] pedigree.”  She then repeats her name “Alberta K. Johnson” and again restates her nationality, “American that’s me.”