Dancing With God Analysis
Lessons From God
How does a person find their true self? Do they find it through their friends and family; or do they just expect to know? Some may think that it can only be found through life changing incidents. However, that is not always the case. Simple events can make a profound impact on an individual’s life, leading them to discover their true identity. Throughout the poem, this is shown through the speaker’s perception of the stranger, how he makes her feel, and how he influences her life.
The speaker refers to the stranger as “God”, though it is evident that he is just a man. This is because she thinks he influenced her life so dramatically that he could not possibly be a simple human, therefore he must be God.
“At first the surprise/ of being singled out,/ the dance floor crowded/ and me not looking my best,/ a too-often worn dress/ and the man with me/ a budding casualty/ of one repetition too much,/ God touched his shoulder/ and he left.”
When she first introduces him, it is unclear of why she is calling him God. However, out of all the people in the club, he chooses her to dance. Not used to this kind of attention, she is shocked. As the poem progresses it becomes apparent that the speaker calls this man God because he essentially performed a miracle. In her eyes, he is her savior, making her aware of how unfilled her current life is. Although her interpretation of this man is substantial, the feeling he gives her is imperative.
God makes the speaker feel things that she has never felt before, or emotions that she thought were long gone; leading her to realize all the things she has been missing out on. This is evident when the speaker says,
“I never danced better, freer, / as if dancing were my way/ of saying how easily/ I could be with him, or apart.”
In this line she is realizing how effortless it was for her to connect with another man that is not her husband. She is saying how easy is it for her to be without him, proving how little
How does a person find their true self? Do they find it through their friends and family; or do they just expect to know? Some may think that it can only be found through life changing incidents. However, that is not always the case. Simple events can make a profound impact on an individual’s life, leading them to discover their true identity. Throughout the poem, this is shown through the speaker’s perception of the stranger, how he makes her feel, and how he influences her life.
The speaker refers to the stranger as “God”, though it is evident that he is just a man. This is because she thinks he influenced her life so dramatically that he could not possibly be a simple human, therefore he must be God.
“At first the surprise/ of being singled out,/ the dance floor crowded/ and me not looking my best,/ a too-often worn dress/ and the man with me/ a budding casualty/ of one repetition too much,/ God touched his shoulder/ and he left.”
When she first introduces him, it is unclear of why she is calling him God. However, out of all the people in the club, he chooses her to dance. Not used to this kind of attention, she is shocked. As the poem progresses it becomes apparent that the speaker calls this man God because he essentially performed a miracle. In her eyes, he is her savior, making her aware of how unfilled her current life is. Although her interpretation of this man is substantial, the feeling he gives her is imperative.
God makes the speaker feel things that she has never felt before, or emotions that she thought were long gone; leading her to realize all the things she has been missing out on. This is evident when the speaker says,
“I never danced better, freer, / as if dancing were my way/ of saying how easily/ I could be with him, or apart.”
In this line she is realizing how effortless it was for her to connect with another man that is not her husband. She is saying how easy is it for her to be without him, proving how little