My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun – Power Quotes

"The Owner" makes reference to the power inherent in ownership. It could be something outside of the speaker owning her, or it could be a part of the speaker owning her "Life," as in an emotion taking her over. The theme of ownership, agency, and power continues from this point.

At the very least, this quote describes an awe-inspiring event: mountains answering a woman. We’re not sure of the last time something as big as a mountain answered you, but it’s certainly been a while for us. These lines could also relate to the gun metaphor. If the speaker’s life is a gun, then her speech may be the shot of a gun. The reply of the mountains could then be the echo of a loud gunshot, thus symbolizing the power of her voice.

Much like the passage about the "Owner," the speaker’s reference here to her "Master" is a clear signpost of the power this person/thing has over her. One gets the image of a slave and master, the former at the beck and call of the latter. The fact that the "Master" is male is significant with regard to the theme of "Gender."

Endowed with the power and willingness to kill, the speaker here describes her ability to strike down – literally and metaphorically – any foe of her "Master." The reference to a "Yellow Eye" could refer to giving someone the "evil eye," which is generally a sign of aggression or intimidation. It could also refer to the muzzle flash of a gun, if you want to stretch the interpretation a bit. The last line is similar. Thumbing your nose at someone was once a sign of aggression, and giving someone an "emphatic Thumb" is similar. Just like the "Yellow Eye," it could also refer to the gun metaphor. (The speaker could be calling up the image of the thumb used to cock a gun.)

These lines seem complicated, so let’s break them down. The speaker has the power to kill. With her power she is immortalized. Whatever it is that gives her the power to kill, she believes she has it – a belief, which would make anyone feel invincible. If the power to kill make her immortal, then losing the power to kill would rob her of that immortality. This is like saying, without her power, she is brought back to the mortal level and can die. Of course, we all have the power to die, but a passionate emotion like anger can make us believe that nothing can stop us.