"I Felt a Funeral in My Brain"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that themes of death, altered states of consciousness and mental chaos are conveyed through traditional and sophisticated uses of poetic composition in Emily Dickinson's "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain". The author points out that the poet employs a plethora of poetic techniques such as alliteration, repetition, rhyme and rhythm to create mood and convey the central themes of emptiness and mental chaos. The paper relates that, just as sensory deprivation is a common tool used to create altered states of consciousness, so, too, is sensory overload; the speaker in "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain" describes both sensory deprivation and sensory overload.

From the Paper:

"Alliteration and repetition provide the musical and rhythmic backbone of Dickinson's poem. Examples of alliteration include: "felt a funeral," "seated, / A service," "silence some strange," and "dropped down," (1; 6; 15; 17). In addition to alliteration, "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain" also contains several examples of word repetition: "treading, treading," "beating, beating," "down, and down," (3; 7; 17). The rhythmic quality of both alliteration and repetition mirrors the motif of drums that the speaker refers to in the second stanza. Therefore, poetic devices perfectly reflect the theme. Musicality is also conveyed through careful word selections: the third stanza begins: "And then I heard them lift a box, / And creak across my soul /.../ Then space began to toll," (9-12). Key words invoking music and sound include "heard," "creak," and "toll." Aural imagery continues in the fourth stanza, which continues where the third left off with its allusion to a bell tolling."

More papers on "I Felt a Funeral in My Brain":

• Analytical Essay # 522 : "I Felt A Funeral, In My Brain" by Emily Dickinson"
• Persuasive Essay # 146961 : "Emily Dickinson and Puritanism"
• Analytical Essay # 52668 : "The Poetry of Emily Dickinson"

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