Summary
In the poem's concluding stanza, the speaker depicts the end of their journey and the satisfaction of their romantic longing. They row across the sea before reaching a safe harbor. They show the completion of their quest as a final "mooring" in their beloved, revisiting the earlier image of the port.
Analysis
The poem's third stanza acts as a bridge between the ideas of the two prior sections. It opens with a more pleasant description of the ocean: "Rowing in Eden / Ah - the sea -," slightly recasting some of the water imagery from the second stanza. The speaker has reached the conclusion of their search and now happily rows to safety. What is notable about these two lines is that they are not describing the pleasure of reaching the destination; they are instead expressing joy in the act of the journey itself. In referencing "Eden" and exclaiming "Ah - the Sea!" the speaker appears to be, once again, suggesting that the journey itself contains wonder. Interesting as well is the fact that the sea is not described as having calmed; the speaker has merely shifted to a brighter tone. The final two lines ("Might I but moor - tonight - / In thee!") suggest the logical endpoint of the speaker's affections. The future relationship they describe is one of joining together, of sharing and understanding. In a final ocean voyage metaphor, Dickinson describes the speaker's wish to "moor" in their beloved, pointing to an emotional linkage. That said, there is also a notable urgency to the interjection of the word "tonight" between two dashes in the third line. The specificity of "tonight" contrasts with the more general phrasing of "wild nights." It makes the speaker appear more overcome and less certain. For all of their passion, as mentioned earlier with regard to the dashes, their tone belies a certain lack of stability. The speaker appears concerned there will not be other nights to be shared. There is a distinct note of concern in the use of "tonight." The last line of the poem is directly related to the last line of the first stanza. "In thee" both rhymes with "our luxury" and ends in exclamation. It also mirrors the general emotion of that fourth line. The conclusion shows the reader an imagined union between the speaker and their beloved.
On the whole, the poem is one that eludes simple summary. It is a love poem, an expression of passion, but its imagery and structure are full of complexity and instability. On its surface, it appears to be a straightforward declaration of infatuation, but beneath its surface, it offers a more nuanced vision of relationships and desire. Dickinson offers a portrait of a romance that is inextricable from stormy weather.
