Emily Dickinson once said, "We meet no stranger but ourselves." This quote is strongly connected to the theme of identity in his poems. It can be interpreted to mean that it is easy for us to learn about others. Understanding yourself, however, is a much more difficult task. As people, we are constantly evolving, so truly knowing ourselves is a never-ending journey. Much of her work is about finding one's identity, as well as exploring what it means to be a woman in the Romantic era. In this essay I will discuss Dickinson's views on her personal identity, as well as the identity of women in general during the Romantic Era. I will focus primarily on “The Wife,” with supporting evidence for “I'm Nobody! Who are you?" and “The Soul Chooses Its Own Society”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay “The Wife” offers a strong critique of lack of identity suffered by many women during the Romantic era. The lines "[s]he satisfied her needs, she abandoned / [the] toys of her life" are the harsh reality of what happened when women were married (Emily Dickinson, The Wife, verse 1, lines 1-2).The term “toys” implies that anything involving a woman was not to be taken seriously (Emily Dickinson, The Wife, verse 1, line 2). also the idea that women's hobbies were something simple and childish. They needed something to pass the time with until they became wives and mothers and had a "real" job to do above them to do the “honorable work” of a wife (Emily Dickinson, The Wife, verse 1, line 3). In addition to losing their name, women would lose their sense of personal identity and become an adjunct to their husband's identity. Their value would not be determined by their achievements, but by their husband's status. Looking at this poem in relation to Dickinson's life, it makes sense that she feared the institution of marriage and what it would mean for her. Poetry was her life and gave her a sense of identity. If she married, however, her poem would be considered her “[toy]” (Emily Dickinson, The Wife, verse 1, line 2). He would have to give up and “remain unmentioned” (Emily Dickinson, The Wife, verse 3, line 9). This poem gives rise to another dangerous idea: women only truly become women when they get married. Until then, they are still children worried about “toys” (Emily Dickinson, The Wife, verse 1, line 2). The fact that Dickinson remained unmarried despite this public opinion demonstrates the strength of her beliefs. She was confident enough in herself and her poetry to consider herself a woman, even without society's approval. “The soul selects its own society” reinforces Dickinson's belief in remaining true to oneself. In an era when women were expected to attend every large social gathering and force intimacy between each other, she subverted expectations and chose to live a life separate from others. Rather than pretend to be someone she wasn't or feign pleasantries with the other women in her circle, she would grab one or two close friends and “[shut] the door; / [in its divine majority” (Emily Dickinson, The Soul selects her own Society, verse 1, lines 2-3). The term “divine” implies that going against the norms of society in this way was considered almost a sin. However, the speaker is simply not impressed by status or greatness. The speaker is even "immovable [before] a kneeling emperor" (Emily Dickinson, The Soul selects her own Society,-260