Wild nights – Wild nights! : Summary
Wild nights – Wild nights! is a notable literary work by Emily Dickinson. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Wild nights – Wild nights!.
Summary
Poem Analysis
Wild nights – Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!
Explanation: The speaker begins with a strong feeling. She says “Wild nights – Wild nights!” to show passion and excitement. She wishes she were with the person she loves. “Were I with thee” means “If I were with you.” She believes that if they were together, those nights would feel like “luxury”. It will be something rich, beautiful, and rare. The lines show deep love and a longing for closeness.
Futile – the winds –
To a Heart in port –
Done with the Compass –
Done with the Chart!
Explanation: Here, the speaker uses the picture of a sea journey. The “winds” are no longer important. They are “futile,” meaning useless. The heart is now “in port,” which means it has reached safety, like a ship at harbour. There is no more wandering. The speaker says she is “Done with the Compass – Done with the Chart!” These tools are for finding direction at sea, but now they are not needed. Love has brought the heart home. The speaker feels safe, peaceful, and full of joy.
Rowing in Eden –
Ah – the Sea!
Might I but moor – tonight –
In thee!
Explanation: In the last stanza, the sea becomes an image of Paradise, called “Eden.” “Rowing in Eden” shows the joy of being in a perfect place. The speaker cries, “Ah – the Sea!” to express strong emotion. It highlights joy or deep desire. Finally, she wishes to “moor – tonight – In thee!” To “moor” means to tie a boat safely in the harbour. Here, it means resting in the beloved. The beloved is both shelter and final destination. The speaker longs to be united tonight. Here, she shows both physical passion and spiritual closeness.
Summary: Emily Dickinson’s “Wild Nights – Wild Nights!” shows strong passion and deep longing. The speaker wishes to be with her beloved during “wild nights,”. The night, which may mean stormy nights or nights full of emotion. If they were together, these wild nights would feel like a joyful “luxury.”
The speaker imagines herself as a sailor on a sea journey. But once she has found love, she needs no compass or chart. Her heart is already safe in port. In the final stanza, she compares love to Eden, a heavenly state. She dreams of mooring in her beloved, which means resting in love and finding complete peace. The poem joins ideas of wild passion with ideas of safety and eternal happiness.