Emily Dickinson's poem, "My Life Stood Still - a Loaded Gun," explores the dark themes behind the romanticized perception of love. At the beginning of the work, Dickinson shows the stubborn and volatile character of the speaker. A man chooses this woman and accompanies her intimately throughout her life. She claims that she feels fully satisfied with this man and, therefore, she declares that she is ready to protect their relationship by any means necessary. Despite the speaker's apparent contentment, the final part of the play reveals that she would rather die than live a life alone without her partner. This poem illustrates that embracing love can breed traits of weakness such as dependence, jealousy, and obsession. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Dickinson's work presents the speaker as a woman with great explosive potential. In the first stanza, she describes herself as a loaded weapon sitting in a corner, remaining inactive until the day it is claimed: “The owner passed by – identified –/And took me away –” (3-4). With these representative details, the speaker initially exudes an aura of courage. However, upon closer inspection, we can say that this woman is prey to a whole series of weaknesses. Dependence is the trait of weakness that appears most immediately in the poem. Although comparing herself to a gun undeniably portrays the speaker as intimidating, one should not ignore her blatant hesitation. She does not attempt to realize her potential independently. Instead, the speaker happily waits to be picked out and carried away by a man. She sees an opportunity for growth and mobility, but believes that her only chance of achieving this fulfillment is through a relationship. The release of her power depends solely on the incorporation of a powerful male figure (Gelpi). The woman's dependence continues to manifest itself, more aggressively, in the final stanza of the poem. Just as she refuses to truly begin her personal journey without the man, she also feels unable to continue after his death: “Even if I can live longer than him, he must live longer than me” (21-22 ). Although the speaker may possess some degree of newfound power, control rests solely in the hands of its owner ("Commentary"). He is the driving force that nourishes and gives strength to women. In her mind, the extent of her progress reached its limit the day she lost him. Dickinson's work powerfully expresses the speaker's dependence on the man who claims her. With such dependence on the man, it is natural that the speaker also exhibits signs of possessiveness. She clearly demonstrates this behavior in the fifth stanza of the poem: “To his enemy – I am a mortal enemy –/No one moves the second time –/On whom I lay a yellow eye –” (17-19). His hostile words are spoken mercilessly, describing the inevitable fate of his opponents. Humans crave certainty and therefore can easily become jealous creatures. A jealous attitude often indicates the presence of insecurity (Pelusi). This logic applies perfectly to the woman in Dickinson's poem. His jealous tendencies are irrefutable and likely stem from a fragile sense of self-worth. At the beginning of the poem, she could do nothing but sit idle before the man arrived. She can barely function or produce any self-confidence without her partner. So it's no surprise that she struggles with severe insecurity and feels. 2010.