280 - I felt a Funeral, in my Brain...
_ I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to and fro Kept treading - treading - till it seemed That sense was breaking through - And when they all were seated, A Service, like a Drum - Kept beating - beating - till I thought My mind was going numb - And then I heard them lift a Box And creak across my Soul With those same Boots of Lead, again, The Space - began to toll, As all the Heavens were a Bell, And Being, but an Ear, And I, and Silence, some strange Race Wrecked, solitary here - And then a Plank in Reason, broke, And I dropped down, and down - And hit a World, at every plunge, And Finished knowing - then - |
Analysis
Poem 280 has a physical element "Funeral" combined with the mental elements. The physicality of a funeral is used as a extended metaphor to explore the inner mental turmoil Dickinson is feeling.
Stanza 1,line 2 - "mourners to and fro" represents her thoughts being scattered and mental inability to think straight, while line 3 the repetition "treading -treading" indicates her trying to move on but not being able to. Stanza 2, lines 3/4 - the repetition of "beating" emphasises like an echo and highlights loneliness, whilst her mind "going numb" reflects the inability to think as emotions overwhelm her. Stanza 3, lines 2/3 - imagery of something heavy coming over her whilst "again" gives the impression that she is experienced the feeling before and feels it creeping over her "soul". "Boots of Lead" creates imagery of being stamped on highlighting the hurt she is experiencing. Stanza 4, line 4 - "wrecked" highlights she is in a mess with mental instability. Stanza 5, line 1 - connotes all her reasoning disappearing as the thing holding her together snaps. "down, and down" reflects her loosing her reasons and almost gives the imagery that she is falling in despair. All stanzas we 4 lines long, tight structure mirrors her trying to ,maintain her emotions and hold herself together. Also, the first line in each stanza relates to a funeral or death except for stanza 5 which may portray all her emotions pouring out as she struggles to maintain them which is portrayed through her use of dashes and commas as pauses as if to try and recollect strength to carry on. |