In her poem “There came a Wind like a Bugle — ,”Emily Dickinson explores how nature, at the hand of God, maintains the power to test or subdue humanity at any given moment and how humanity is incapable of comprehending or quantifying such power but through abstract language.
Dickinson utilizes synesthesia and symbolism to emphasize nature’s inaccessibility to humans. The first line of Dickinson’s poem presents a simile in which synesthesia is used to attempt to describe the approaching wind by comparing it to a “Bugle” or, more specifically, to the sound a Bugle makes (1). The use of synesthesia supports the idea that the wind cannot be accurately depicted using human terms or language. The “wind” (1) can be interpreted as symbolizing nature as a whole to present the idea that nature is beyond description using human language, and thus, beyond human comprehension entirely. Critic Paul Scott Derrick comments on how Dickinson “pointedly avoids an outright naming of her subject,” employing “evocative evasion” to place “a mold of concrete words around the abstract soul of her poem,” supporting the idea that nature, or nature’s power, is unquantifiable (Derrick). The speaker resorts to figurative language to refer to and attempt to depict the natural event to communicate the potency of nature and, arguably, of God’s will.
A religious interpretation of this poem gives meaning to a lot of Dickinson’s literary tools. Mention of a “Wind like a Bugle” (1) introduces the approaching force of nature to be described throughout the poem. One interpretation is that the “Wind” is an approaching storm, where the sound of the “Bugle” represents the sound of thunder (1). Because of the close resemblance between a bugle and a trumpet, the sound of the bugle can also be interpreted as a warning call, since trumpets are known to be used for this. In the Book of Revelation, the sounding of trumpets signaled coming apocalyptic events, serving as a warning, where bells would later signal God’s arrival on Judgement Day itself. Bells in general are considered holy in the church, signaling the presence of God and utilized before Holy Communion. Thus, the “bell” (13) near the end of the poem parallels this scene of Judgement Day and can be seen as a hint to the Book of Revelation.
Dickinson presents underlying biblical allusions that support a religious interpretation. Critic D’Avanzo argues for this poem’s direct parallel to The Revelation of St. John the Divine seen in the Book of Revelation. His argument is that “the ominous and apparently personal revelation of the nature of things presented in the poem parallels the vision which St. John is given by God on Judgment Day” (D’Avanzo). The Book of Revelation is known for its description of the apocalyptic events of Judgement Day and is thus often referred to as “Apocalypse,” meaning revelation in Greek (“Introduction to the Gospel According to St. John”). According to The Church of Jesus Christ, “this book is an unveiling of the Lord Jesus Christ and a revelation of His authority, power, and preeminent role in the Father’s plan of salvation” (“Introduction to the Gospel According to St. John”). Considering this and D’Avanzo’s argument, the event the poem describes can be Judgement Day, where God uses nature to assert his dominance before humanity, an unquantifiable power the human speaker attempts to capture using imagery and intentional word choice.
Dickinson’s use of imagery and diction create an atmosphere that presents the omnipotence of nature. The speaker describes the name-less natural presence as “ominous” (4) and “a Green Chill upon the Heat” (3), which people take precautions to hide from. The color green often symbolizes nature, aiding the argument that the storm, or other natural event, symbolizes nature as a whole. Thus, people are hiding from nature, “as from an Emerald Ghost” (6). Apart from hinting at nature, the color green also presents a negative connotation, denoting sickness or decay to emphasize the idea of impending doom. The idea of coldness is also presented in the diction utilized, creating a cold, distant tone to symbolize the distance humans feel to nature because of their fear of it at this moment. Describing the storm as a “chill” coming “upon the Heat” (3) presents the idea of the storm’s coldness coming to disrupt the typical warmth of everyday life. The word “Ghost” (6) also aids by evoking feelings of physical (literal) and figurative coldness. Furthermore, Dickinson employs irony as the speaker mentions the effort of barring the “Windows” and “Doors” (5) yet it being done to protect “As from an Emerald Ghost” (6). This is because the “Green Chill” (3), like fog or like a “Ghost” (6), would likely not be stopped by any sort of physical barring. This could symbolize how the power of nature, either on its own or at the hand of God, surpasses the physical realm that humanity lives in, highlighting humanity’s powerlessness.
The use of metaphor and symbolism further establish the ambiguous, apocalyptic scene, leaving room for various interpretations. The metaphor “The Doom’s electric Moccasin” (7) is similar to the simile used in the first line as it again, is used to refer directly to this natural entity without “outright naming” (Derrick) it. A “moccasin” (7), being a type of snake, can be interpreted as a biblical allusion to snakes. In the Book of Revelation, there is a depiction of a “premortal War in Heaven” (“Introduction to the Gospel According to St. John”) where the “ancient serpent,” being Satan, is “cast out to the earth” (“Serpents in the Bible”). This supports the argument of the scene being a depiction of the apocalyptic events John experiences in the Book of Revelation in regard to Judgment Day and the “premortal War in Heaven” (“Introduction to the Gospel According to St. John”). Saying that doom’s serpent “That very instant passed” (8) after talking about barring “the Windows and the Doors” (5), could depict Satan being “cast out to the earth” (“Serpents in the Bible”) upon humans’ attempt to hide, furthering the image of Judgement Day. This is then followed by the line “On a strange Mob of panting Trees” which personifies trees and interrupts the established image of nature by describing nature as “panting” (9). Whether the lines “That very instant passed” (8) and “On a strange Mob of panting Trees” (9) should be read as one sentence or as two distinct statements is ambiguous and leaves readers to contemplate whether Dickinson is attempting to depict the “electric Moccasin” (7) as passing on the “panting Trees” (9), or whether the snake and the trees comprise separate statements. Either way, the image of “panting Trees” (9) could be interpreted as the trees being afraid, which interrupts the image of nature’s power. Otherwise, it can be seen as the trees physically shaking because of the force of the storm or other natural entity the wind may symbolize.
Dickinson’s use of alliteration, polysyndeton, and structure develops a mood which establishes an escalation of distress as the poem progresses. Line ten further denotes the prevalence of the Book of Revelation through the phrase “fled away” which is also seen in Revelation 16:20, “every island fled away.” The phrase “Fences fled” (10) presents fricative alliteration to create a breathless feel. This is followed by the alliteration in the words “Rivers” and “ran” (11) and the assonance of letter “r” sounds, a letter which is known for being difficult to pronounce. Dickinson does this to set up feelings of distress. Furthermore, lines ten and eleven and lines sixteen and seventeen depict Dickinson’s use of polysyndeton, as they all commence with “And.” This could demonstrate how all the chaos has begun to pile on top of each other and everything is occurring rapidly and disorderly, demonstrating how the speaker’s franticness intensifies as the poem goes on. This, coupled with the poem’s lack of an organizational structure (such as paragraphs), and the use of alliteration, creates a frantic mood in the reader.
Mood also comes into play when regarding Dickinson’s use of a hymn meter throughout the poem. Hymn meter can be regarded as church-like because it is the metrical scheme frequently used for worship songs or hymns. Furthermore, critic Kamuf points out the rarity of Dickinson’s use of the verb “abide” (17) to point out how the poem can be seen as being a prayer itself (Kamuf). Likely, the speaker is praying in light of the apocalyptic events occurring and perhaps hoping God really has arrived. Kamuf discusses how the line “And yet abide the World!” (17) can be read as transitive or intransitive, and how the meaning can change if the verb “abide” is regarded as an optative verb (Kamuf). An optative sentence typically being a “prayer” or a “keen wish” (“Grammar: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs”). If one breaks apart the verb in the way Kamuf has, the use of the word “abide” (17) as an optative can be used to support the claim of the poem holding a prayer-like structure.
Dickinson’s poem utilizes countless techniques that can be interpreted to have a biblical undertone or support a biblical interpretation, specifically in reference to the Book of Revelation. The poem indisputably displays an apocalyptic scene, presenting the unquantifiable power of nature, or God, or both, depending on how it’s interpreted. Dickinson’s use of figurative language and literary techniques to present complex and abstract ideas demonstrates her intent to point out the indescribability and intangibility of the coming of this “Wind like a Bugle” (1).
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