The Poem by Emily Dickinson The Wind Tapped like a Man (Essay Sample)

Emily Dickinson "The Wind tapped like a Man”
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Emily Dickinson "The Wind tapped like a Man”
The title of the poem is a simile comparing the tapping of the wind to that of a man. The word ‘man’ in this context appears to have two meanings. First, it could mean that the tapping of the wind was so alive that the persona, for a moment, could have mistaken it for that of a human being. The persona appears to have been in a very expectant mood, waiting for someone to come knocking at their door any time. The second meaning of the word ‘man’ is that of a male human being. It appears that the persona was not waiting for just any human being but a man in particular. The title is invaluable in extracting the meaning of the poem, because we get inside the persona’s head and get a glimpse of her thoughts. At the moment of writing the poem, she must have been thinking about a man.
The persona is a person (possibly a woman, since the author of the poem is a woman), who is alone in her house. The persona seems to be waiting so anxiously for somebody that she mistakes the tapping of the wind for the tapping of her expected guest. Upon opening the door, the gust of wind rushes in and out within a short time. Within the short time span that the wind lasts, it brings with it a swarm of expectant imaginings and disappointment. The poem ends in a resigned and lonely note, with the persona returning to her state of loneliness that was only briefly broken by the formless visitor.
The author employs a number of unusual words in the poem so that it have a more descriptive nature. On line 12, she uses the word "billow" to draw the semblance of the ‘face’ of the wind. Billows are most often associated with waves in the sea, and they occur mostly when the sea is tumultuous. This simile could reflect the persona’s attitude towards men in general; it could mean that the persona felt that men were too wild to be tamed or settled. It could also reflect the fact that that particular time was a difficult time in the persona’s life.
Another special word used in the poem is ‘flitting’ in line 16. The word means moving rapidly or changing suddenly. This was an appropriate word because it not only describes the short-lived nature of the visit by the wind but it discloses the disappointment in the brevity of the wind’s stay.
The poem makes use of several similes. These help to provide graphic descriptions of the persona’s thoughts. She describes the imaginary ‘speech of the wind, comparing it to the push of humming birds. She also compares the wind to a ‘timid man’ fleeing from her residence. This explains her disappointment in the man in her mind. A lot of symbolism was also used, as explained by the careful choice of words such as ‘flitting’ to express the movement of the wind. It appears that the persona was disappointed in the man in her mind.
One reference needs explaining. Line 15 goes "Blown tremulous in glass”. The reason why the author chose to use glass for comparison with the music of the wind’s fingers is not clear. Perhaps she did so to show how brittle the relationship in question is. Perhaps she chose it because the sound of glass to her is reminiscent of something about a lost or unrequit...