Emily Dickinson’s “The Soul Selects Her Own Society” delivers a message of choosing one significant other or friend and excluding others.
She states,
“Unmoved – an Emperor be kneeling
Upon her Matt”.
To me this means this “Emperor” that Dickinson views as some sort of “change” came into her life; and now is trying to dictate and change her. She mention, that she is “Unmoved”. Dickinson isn’t excited about the Emperor asking for her hand of marriage. This relates to Jane and Rochester’s relationship.
Jane realized that she was beginning to have feelings for Rochester when he announced he’ll be away from Thornfield for a while. Although, Rochester is Jane employer and she believes that he would never fall in love with her; her feelings for Rochester continued to grow. Subsequently, Jane confessed her love for him and to her surprise Rochester proposal to her.
Jane is ecstatic about the marriage but whenever Rochester calls her by “Jane Rochester” she began to feel unease; as if
this is impossible.
Emily Dickinson’s, “The Soul Selects Her Own Society” then states,
I’ve known her — from an ample nation —
Choose One —”
The poet is basically saying she has to make a decision. Whether, she wants to marry this man or not. This is also relevant to “Jane Eyre”. After founding out that Rochester is already married, Jane founds herself if a rough situation. She then has to decide if she’ll continue to be his mistress or for the two to go their separate ways. But Jane began to wonder if she’ll ever find someone like Rochester. Someone who’s going to love for her like he does. Jane came to the decision to leave Thornfield and Rochester. She realized as a long as Rochester’s wife is alive, she will only be Rochester’s mistress. She clear that being his mistress only means her losing her freedom and control of her life.