I'm Nobody! Who Are You?

Emily Dickinson

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1891

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Themes

The World in Black and White with a Shade of Gray

Dickinson speaks in absolutes in this poem, primarily with the use of “Nobody” in the first stanza and “Somebody” in the second. Her language for the “Somebody” stanza includes “dreary” (Line 5) and “bog” (Line 8), suggesting a negative connotation or atmosphere. At the same time, her language for the “Nobody” stanza uses words like “pair” (Line 3), which seem more favorable in tone. This dichotomy depicts experience as either this or that, with either negative or positive associations supporting the dichotomy. As the poem progresses, however, Dickinson’s language offers wiggle room—a shade of gray—with which readers can also interpret the poem.

Within this seemingly black-and-white poem that suggests privacy is good and anything that opposes privacy is bad, there is room for interpretation. Dickinson describes the frog as “public” (Line 6), which is a word assumed to be negative in this poem, but there almost seems to be a sense of pity for the frog telling its name all “the livelong June” (Line 7). This interpretation might suggest that living things are complicated in their desires, as they feel compelled to be somebodies when perhaps they want to be nobodies or vice versa. The frog itself, while reminiscent of what the princess does not want to kiss, is also known as an innocuous creature. This room for gray relates to Dickinson’s self-selected seclusion alongside her writing several poems exploring the subject of fame.

Redefining Fame On One’s Own Terms

In this poem, Dickinson defines fame on her own terms. She portrays a sense of confidence about being a nobody and wears it like a badge of honor in the first line. It is the first thing she says about herself to others. She clearly wants to tell others about it and not keep it to herself. By the fourth line, she does not want anyone to tell because “they’d advertise” (Line 4). With this line, it appears that Dickinson only wants to tell who she wants to tell and that she does not want others to speak on her behalf. She can control the narrative and the number of people who know if she spreads the word on her own without additional fancy advertising methods.

In the second stanza, the speaker compares the frog to the idea of being “public,” or publicity (Line 6). When a frog makes a sound, everyone around it hears. As a result, a frog does not control who does or doesn’t hear, as the speaker does. Plus, the frog seems to say its name over and over again (Line 7), as if doubting that it could keep fame once it received some, or as if having to repeat itself in order to attract additional followers. The frog’s croaking could be compared to radio, television, newspaper, social media, and other forms of mass media that can spread a message to a large group of people but backfire if used incorrectly. Instead, Dickinson can simply write the words in a short poem, like this one, that the author only allowed select individuals to read, a sort of minimalist fame that emphasizes quality over quantity.

The Universal Desire to Express and Be Heard

The poem’s opening line, “I’m Nobody! Who Are You” (Line 1), feels like the speaker is making an introduction to a group. Immediately, there is a need to express feelings and reach out to someone else. In the third line, the speaker announces, “Then there’s a pair of us!” (Line 3), as if detecting a response from her earlier question in Line 2 asking if they are also a nobody. There is a dialogue happening of sorts, even if the reader is only privy to one side. The reader might also be inserting their own replies, as if addressing the speaker’s questions while reading. In the fourth line, the speaker wants the other person not to tell anyone about what they share, already trusting the other person with a secret. At this point, the speaker has already accomplished her goal of expressing and being heard. She does not need to repeat this process or advertise herself.

The second stanza introduces the “Frog” (Line 6). While the speaker places the frog in a relatively negative light, it still represents a figure that needs to make vocal noise in order to be heard. The frog and the speaker have more in common than perhaps the speaker is willing to admit. Animal and human alike, there is a need to connect and share with other similarly-minded beings. The frog is likely making a racket to find a mate and to continue the species whereas the speaker is likely doing it to ward off utter isolation. Humans, even if isolated, live in a community—local, national, global. Frogs live in swampy land also with other frogs and animals trying to survive.