Term Papers on Emily Dickinson

Term Paper Title	Emily Dickinson
# of Words	1184
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	4.74

Emily Dickinson

By: Emily Dickinson

I FELT a funeral in my brain,

  And mourners, to and fro,

Kept treading, treading, 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.

  Then 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.

Stanza 1:
I FELT a funeral in my brain,
And mourners, to and fro,
Kept treading, treading, till it seemed
That sense was breaking through

•Funeral is used as a symbol by Emily Dickinson to show that a part of the speaker is dying. The speakers thought is overcome by craziness and the speakers sanity is about to die. Dickinson’s choice of using a funeral is fitting for this visualization. The most prominent association with a funeral is death of course.

•Funeral is a ritual with set rules and guidelines for control and order. This is the exact opposite vibe we are getting from the speaker of this poem. Ironically, the speaker is experiencing loss of control and sanity.

•Funeral is also the ritual that marks the transition from the state of life to the state of death. The speaker is experiencing the change from sanity to insanity. The speaker isn’t watching the funeral but, rather experiencing the funeral in her mind.

•Brain has a double meaning the real organ and also the abstract idea of the speakers mind. This double meaning helps show the mental as well as the physical effects of crazy.

•In the second line mourners are mentioned as a metaphor to express the speaker’s pain. The actions “to and fro” also suggest that the mourners may be the reasons why the speaker is going crazy and, that the speaker is pondering all these events. The treading referring to the mourners is repeated twice to  give emphasis and gives the idea that it is an action. The treading suggests that the pondering is also repetitive and painful. Sense is referring to the pain the speaker is feeling.

Stanza 2:

And when they all were seated,

A service like a drum

Kept beating, beating, till I thought

My mind was going numb

•The description of the funeral is prolonged still through this stanza. The mourners are all seated and the funeral is about to begin. The repetitive treading is replaced by the repeating sound of a drum, beating and beating. This part of the poem is using auditory imagery.  The beating also continues the pressure that was felt previously from the treading. The assault is so mentally and physically fierce that the speakers mind begins to go numb. The mind numbing is a progressing corrosion of the speakers state. The speaker is choosing this because the speaker can’t explain the experience physically.

Stanza 3

And then I heard them lift a box,

And creak across my soul

With those same boots of lead, again.

Then space began to toll

•The coffin being lifted and transported across the speakers soul is an other example of how the speakers is actually feeling the funeral. In this stanza again also the speaker uses the sense of hearing once more. The sound of creaking is not pleasing just like the drums or treading. Unpleasant sound is coming from “same boots of lead again” and the treading is probably a result of these  boots.

Stanza 4

As all the heavens were a bell,

And Being but...

This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Digital Term Papers. Please register below now!

Digital Term Papers has over 63,000 essays, term papers, and book notes online. Many paper sites will charge you hundreds of dollars for a single paper. Digital Term Papers only charges $14.95 for a one month membership with instant account activation!

Don't waste anymore time! Join NOW!!!

1 Month (automatic renewal) ($14.95)

3 Months (automatic renewal) ($29.95)

6 Months (one-time billing) ($39.95)

Pay by: