We don't know whether the speaker is a man or a woman in "My Life had stood," but there are certain clues in this poem that suggest a conflict between male and female identities. For example, the pronouns in the poem are all male pronouns (him, his, and he). And we know that a doe (the animal the speaker hunts) is a female deer. The exact meaning of this poem might be obscure, but we can be pretty sure that there’s a conflict between masculinity and femininity.
Questions About Gender
- Why is "The Owner" male?
- Is this poem about male dominance?
- Is this poem about female dominance?
- How does gender play into issues of power in the poem?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
The female speaker is the slave of the male "Master," allegorizing the chauvinistic society of Dickinson’s time.
Dickinson’s speaker is a powerful woman who is in no way oppressed by the male presence in the poem.