Emily Dickinson “I Dwell in Possibility”

I believe that Dickinson is discussing the remarkable abilities of the imagination in “I Dwell in Possibility.” In the first line, which is also the title of the poem, “possibility” represents imagination. Both imagination and possibility are open-ended and don’t have boundaries. “Prose” in line 2 suggests that she could be referring to imagination accompanying writing. Poetry in particular requires imagination and is more inventive and artistic than prose. In this “House” of imagination, there are more windows because they are transparent and allow us to view whatever we can conceive. Doors do not exist because they are opaque and are “Impregnable of eye.” As for the roof, there is none because the imagination is endless and so only the infinite sky is an appropriate roof.
The final stanza supports my earlier idea that Dickinson could be referring to imagination as used in poetry or artistic writing. “Visitors” could be those who read her work or any poetry and are therefore experiencing her imagination. The final two lines, in concert with “occupation” in the line above support my thought that she is speaking about writing. A writer “spreads her hands” and gathers anything that she can invent, envision, or suppose and presents it to the world. Adding all the words and ideas together is “To gathering Paradise,” as Dickinson writes.
The numerous dashes in the poem could have many purposes and meanings. In my first reading, I unconsciously used the dashes as pauses. This can slow down the speed of the poem, and change the rhythm. I also found myself, after several reads, inserting words into the dashed area to complete a thought or to make the broken lines similar to sentences. This allows the reader to change the poem slightly, which can alter the meaning and follows the imaginative theme of the piece.