Emily Dickinson's poem, "My Life Had Stood - A Loaded Gun," explores dark themes that lie behind the romanticized perception of love. Early in the work, Dickinson shows the speaker's stubborn and unstable nature. A man chooses this woman and accompanies her intimately throughout her life. She states that she feels fully satisfied with this man and, consequently, declares herself willing to protect their relationship by any means necessary. Despite the speaker's apparent satisfaction, the last section of the piece reveals that she would rather die than live a lonely life without her partner. This poem illustrates that embracing love can breed traits of weakness such as dependency, jealousy, and obsession. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Dickinson's work presents the speaker as a woman with great explosive potential. In the first stanza, he describes himself as a loaded gun sitting in a corner, remaining idle until the day it is claimed: “The Owner passed - identified -/And took me away -” (3-4). With these representative details, the speaker initially exudes an aura of fortitude. However, upon closer examination, it can be argued that this woman harbors a number of weaknesses. Dependence is the trait of weakness that is immediately shown in the poem. While comparing oneself to a firearm undeniably portrays the speaker as an intimidating being, one should not ignore his obvious hesitation. He does not attempt to independently realize his potential. Instead, the speaker willingly waits to be singled out and swept away by a man. He sees an opportunity for growth and mobility, but feels that his only chance to achieve this fulfillment is through a relationship. The liberation of his power depends exclusively on the incorporation of a powerful and masculine figure (Gelpi). The woman's dependence continues to be shown, more aggressively, in the final stanza of the poem. Just as she refuses to adequately begin her personal journey without the man, she feels equally incapable of continuing after his death: "Though I may live longer than him, he must live longer than me" (21-22) . While the speaker may possess a certain degree of newfound power, control remains solely in the hands of its owner ("Commentary"). It is the driving force that nurtures and enables women. In his mind, the extent of his progress reaches its limit the day he loses it. Dickinson's work emphatically expresses the speaker's dependence on the man who claims her. With such heavy dependence on man, it is natural that the speaker also exhibits signs of possessiveness. He clearly demonstrates this behavior in the fifth stanza of the poem: “To his enemy – I am a mortal enemy –/ Let no one move the second time – / Upon whom I lay a yellow eye –” (17-19). His hostile words are spoken without mercy, outlining the inevitable fate of his opponents. Humans crave certainty and, as a result, 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 originate from a shaky sense of self. At the beginning of the poem she could do nothing but sit idle before the man's arrival. She can barely function or produce even the slightest bit of self-confidence without her partner. Therefore, it is not surprising that she struggles with severe insecurity and feels the need to jealously ambush those who catch her partner's attention. As his unhealthy mentality shows,. 2010.