Analysis of I'm Nobody! Who are you? by Emily Dickinson (Essay Example)

Life is what we make of it, no matter the time given, our geographical location, or our circumstances, our only task is to make the best of it. Emily Dickinson writes in “I’m Nobody! Who are You?” about being “nobody,” or maybe just feeling like a nobody, tired of living up to the expectations of society painting herself as careless of any type of validation of being a “somebody.” Ironically, Dickinson’s literary talents made her a well-known somebody, doubtful she knew the reach that would become of her work, her writings published and studied for centuries, or the impact it would have on literary studies. How would Dickinson have approached her body of literary work had she known she would be published? A challenge one could only speculate about now. Dickinson was certain of her choice, as she wrote dreading being a somebody versus being a nobody captivates enough of her desire or lack thereof to be anybody, juxtaposing Dickinson to Robert Frost’s position in “The Road Not Taken” where Frost is less certain of his choice in committing to a decision, understanding the implications of making such a permanent choice. 

Is there anything wrong with being a nobody, a person unseen and unheard, someone who flies under the radar, stands in the back and coast through life with little to nothing required or expected from them? What about a somebody, someone who is well-known or recognizable, maybe even popular but has lots to live up to? Well that all varies by a person’s attitude. Like Dickinson, Robert Frost writes about taking the societal norms into consideration in “The Road Not Taken.”  Both authors see the benefit in traveling the road less traveled. Dickinson exclaims in the poem “I'm Nobody! Who are you?” that she would rather keep her existence to herself, she writes “Don't tell! they'd advertise” when exploring finding a likeminded “nobody.” Likewise, Frost writes when describing the “two roads” he had to choose from that “I took the one less traveled by, /And that has made all the difference” (Frost, line 19-20) both seem to quite enjoy the quiet more mundane life choice, where things are simple maybe even easy and there’s a sense of tremendous independence by only being accountable for and to oneself. They both are the exception to the rules of societal norms, and neither are willing to settle to protect their individual choices; instead, they govern themselves by their own rules.  

Comparing Dickinson’s and Frost’s perceptions varies as Frost’s tone is certainly ambiguous, but Dickinson’s voice is more direct. Dickinson is known as reserved and most likely heeded to any “unnecessary” attention drawn towards herself. In fact, one could speculate that if Dickinson knew her works would have her name rolling off the tongues of students or a literary critic for centuries after her death, she may not have written what she did. Frost on the other hand seemed to struggle with his identity or decisions he made in his prior years as his perception seems skewed, not mocking as if to make fun of but somewhat scolding. William George wrote in “Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken.’” Explicator, that he believed Frost “adding the dash clarifies that the older self is more poised, like his younger self, before two roads, and his younger self “long [he] stood” before making his choice.” (George, 231) this speaks to Frost’s ability to look back and analyze what he had chosen, the path he had taken, the consequences of those decisions but also the reason behind his potential ambiguity. Frost’s tone is warranted given the permanency of the choices we make as adults, knowing the difference between right and wrong, right? But right according to whom? And on whose timeline? Although, taking a very daydream type approach the topic maintains the same level of severity.  

There are many supporting factors that both authors explored the individualism of who they are and where they were “traveling” to. Frost was concrete that the choice he made was right for him, similar to Emerson in Self-reliance stating, “what I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think” (Emerson, 5). Emerson makes a great point that supports Dickinson’s individuality when she says, “I’m nobody. Who are you?” by saying “I must be myself. I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you.” (Emerson, 14), for Emerson it was all too well to be just himself while Dickinson has the conversation with the “somebody” she appears to be talking to herself now, while Frost seems to be depicting roads, he traveled years before. However ironic their missions appear to be different; their end goals are similar.  

Considering some of the greatest mistakes sometimes yield the best outcome, like a deconstructed cake or an open face sandwich, each author made the best of their situation. It is not uncommon to find similarities in a writer’s body of work or an artist’s art. But nothing is by coincidence. Neither author would have written as well or iconic in modern day “individualism,” instead individualism meaning the right to think and act freely it leans more towards entitlement. While everyone is entitled to make their own decisions as Dickinson and Frost did, it is more common now for some to feel entitled to make decisions that impact others. Dickinson and Frost both seemed jubilant about the choices they made, Frost about his look back period and Dickinson’s reflection on who she is. Only Frost hinted at common sense as he expressed regret in not being able to travel both roads, where Dickinson’s usage of talking to herself in a warning type of way shows her ability to act in restraint or caution. 

However, whichever “path” chosen “less traveled” or not is not the beginning nor the end of our individualism; individualism is in the choice we are allowed to make itself. Frost and Dickinson did not express dissent to the options of their choices, never showing a willingness to compromise rather encouraging the promotion of the same behaviors with their pieces works. Being a nobody and looking ahead were their sentiments. Frost, generally speaking, had more experience due to his age, how he weighed the options of the paths available, and towards the end expressed some true gems. On the other hand, Dickinson maybe unknowingly spoke on behalf of those folks who had not yet found their voice as her poem reads as though she is having a conversation with herself, she is both the “nobody” and “somebody.” It takes a great deal of courage to be direct and so matter of fact, but there’s also a lot to be admired about the speaker who looks at the whole picture. Both authors showed confidence in their ability to make a choice despite how they got there, they didn’t freeze eternally or need to consult with anyone but themselves, they were autonomous similar to Emerson’s need to be himself for himself and no one else.  Literature ignites movements and trends; Dickinson’s and Frost’s take are certainly influential to their readers but first it should have been inspirational to themselves. Regardless of their reason one must make the choice to decide the path of their individualism, it must be what is most beneficial to their morals and way of being. Just because others push societal norms onto us does not mean we should conform, and while compromising is a humbling and generous act, there is no compromise of our own selves that would seemingly be reasonable or lend itself to our personal development or self-liberty.