“The Soul Selects her Own Society” 

Upon reading the poem, I can immediately relate the soul as the great sense that every human being has to choose in the first instance the person they want to have by their side. One of the cases that I can use to be interpreted is in the line where it says: “I’ve known her -from an ample nation- Chosen One”. As time passes, human beings have the opportunity to meet many people who could have what they are looking for in their ideal companion. “The soul” as the poem says, acts and finds the chosen one. Now, in this other line “Then close the valves of her attention – like stone-“, the thought can be completed by saying that after the soul believes to have found the ideal person, it simply closes its doors or its intentions of looking elsewhere and dedicates all its attention and time only to this person. Additionally, by using the simile “like a stone”, it shows the intention that this relation will be forever without allowing anyone else to enter.

“The Brain is Wider Than the Sky”

The poem illustrates the incredible power and complexity of the human brain. “The brain is deeper than the sea” is a good example that can be considered. As is well known, the sea has incredible and often incalculable depths; Now, by making a comparison between the depth of the sea and the depth of the brain, the author is leading us to understand that our brain’s capacity to think and imagine is unlimited. Thus we could also conclude with the phrase that says: “The brain is only the weight of God”, this implies that the brain has a power comparable to that of God, which demonstrates its extraordinary capacity.

“This world is not a conclusion”

 In this poem the theme of faith is touched upon but also of doubt that in the end leads us to reflection. In the poem it is suggested that after death people go to another world, but believing in this is not so easy for everyone. Here are two lines from the poem that I think are particularly interesting: “A Species is beyond – Invisible, like Music – But positive, like Sound -” These lines suggest that there is a species beyond our physical world that is invisible like music, but that the effects on people are really positive and real like sound. The second example can be:“Faith slips – and laughs, and rallies –Blushes, if any see–” These words suggest how faith can be fragile and uncertain, but it can also be resilient and inspiring. I can interpret this with what commonly happens in our societies where faith in someone or something can fade quickly but can also grow and recover.

In the first place, it is difficult to discern what the author is trying to convey through her poems. Then, as described in Jonathan Culler’s chapter titled “Conventions of Literature”, I studied the lines carefully and tried to understand the context of the poem by looking for similarities with daily life. My analysis was supported by evidence from the text, including metaphors and images, ultimately making a parallel with our reality.