There is a solitude of quarantine
The weight of the unknown feels overbearing. COVID-19 has swept the globe, leaving us all a bit frazzled. When will we return to normalcy? When will our loved ones heal? Are we doing enough? Will conditions worsen?
When these questions circle my mind, I find solace in poetry. There’s something healing about the ambiguity of the carefully-crafted stanzas. The poet, she writes with intention and passion. She has her own interpretation as she puts pen to paper. For the readers, the interpretations of a poem are unique to whatever they may be feeling at that moment.
There’s a poem by Emily Dickinson I find to be especially applicable during times of quarantine and coronavirus.
“There is a solitude of space
A solitude of sea
A solitude of death, but these
Society shall be
Compared with that profounder site
That solar privacy
A soul admitted to itself —
Finite infinity.”
My resonance with this piece is the word “solitude,” which is the state of being alone. We are under quarantine. However, I find the word “solitude” much more appealing.
A quarantine forces isolation. Solitude is a choice. Oftentimes, solitude leads to the most beautiful revelations. Time alone to think, pray, create art, and simply exist is exactly what we are all being called to do right now. It’s all we can do. A simple change in perspective may shift your experience entirely.
My interpretation of this poem goes deeper than the word “solitude” alone.
Emily Dickinson wrote, “A solitude of death, but these Society shall be.”
We are living in dark times. Death is at the forefront of many minds. This line in particular, to me, is not about the act of dying, but instead, loneliness. Weeks on end alone can trigger feelings of detachment. In my experience, though, I’ve learned that to be alone does not have to result in loneliness…bringing me to my final revelation…
“A soul admitted to itself — Finite infinity.”
While uncomfortable at first, more time spent alone means the more we learn about who we truly are. We are undoubtedly molded by external factors. We spend a certain amount of time with friends, family, coworkers, and society as a whole, which causes us to conform a little bit.
But, who are we when all of those external variables are stripped away? Maybe it’s not the loneliness that’s gnawing at some people. Maybe it’s the discovery of one’s self.
Hopefully, this time of solitude brings you all deeper insights into how you exist. Then, once we return to our daily routines, we can incorporate what we learned in solitude to finite infinity.
