“I’m Nobody! Who are You?” is a short lyric poem written by Emily Dickinson and first published in 1891 in the Poems of the 2nd Series. Among other things, this work is one of the most popular poems of the author. Emily Dickinson managed to create a unique work that applies to every reader. Despite the fact that the author used only two stanzas in “I’m Nobody! Who are You?” this literary work does not leave any person indifferent because it is relevant for any generation. Thus, the main theme that the author reveals in her poem is self-identification.
The question is, what does Dickinson mean by “nobody” in her poem? In the issue of self-identification, which each of us faces in life, it is important to understand who we really are. That is why Emily Dickinson does not use any particular face of the narrator in her poem, presenting him as “nobody.” In this poem, the speaker is a kind of “nobody” who does not crave attention or fame. On the contrary, the narrator despises the people she calls “somebody” because they are always eager to be appreciated by the public. The author writes: “Don’t tell! They’d advertise – you know!” (Dickinson 2). Dickinson suggests that this lifestyle is tedious and rather boring because the opinion of other people does not affect anything. Thus, this poem calls into question the authority of society and its dominant role in life.
Thus, for Emily Dickinson, “nobody” seems to be the very ideal that everyone should strive for. To be independent of the opinion of the crowd, to be devoted only to yourself, to be a unique person – this is what is important for a writer. Those who are “nobody” do not worry about what others will say because they are self-sufficient in themselves. In this sense, the issue of self-identification is critically important for every person because it allows you to find your place in society. It is for Dickinson that the ideal is the image of a “nobody” created by her, who is free in his thoughts, actions, and life guidelines.
Work Cited
Dickinson, Emily. I’m Nobody. Weintraub Music Company, 1950.