Welcome! We’re continuing the Bloganuary prompts as usual. The question for today is “What is a song or poem that speaks to you and why?” It’s funny that this prompt came up, because just the other day, I was randomly remembering a poem I liked but hadn’t revisited in a long time. The poem I chose for today is “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” by Emily Dickinson. It goes like this:

“I’m nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody too?
Then there’s a pair of us! – don’t tell!
They’d banish us, you know!

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring Bog!”

~Emily Dickson

Now for the second part of the question: why does this poem speak to me? Well, to start with, I like the rhyming structure used here and the simplicity of the words. I’m also a big fan of Emily Dickinson in general. I have a fat book of poems by just her that I keep on my shelf all the time. Emily Dickson’s poems have always spoken to me, even long before I heard about how she was probably LGBT+. (You should look that up if you don’t know about it.) Anyway, she was an interesting poet who isolated herself from the world.

As for this poem in particular, I identify with the theme that weird, unusual, and/or highly introverted people are erased by society and considered “nobodies.” Although us weirdos tend to find one another and bond – “there’s a pair of us” – it’s necessary for us to keep our weirdness hidden so we are not “banished” (or “advertised” as it says in another version).

The second stanza seems to be making fun of extraverts and people who fit in well with society – the “somebodies.” I think it’s funny to compare them to frogs singing out their names in a swamp. But hey, that’s what’s normal for frogs to do. Those who thrive in society and love being social are also just doing what’s normal and good for them. I’m keenly aware that I’m the weird one here. However, I’m not going to change for anyone. I’ll keep being weird on my own and occasionally find other “nobodies” to connect with.

That’s it for today. I appreciate you reading my blog! Have a great rest of the week.