I felt a Funeral, in my Brain by Emily Dickinson

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,

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 –

And then a Plank in Reason, broke,

And I dropped down, and down –

And hit a World, at every plunge,

And Finished knowing – then –

About the Poem

Title: I Felt a Funeral in My Brain
Author: Emily Dickinson
Composition Date: Circa 1861
Publication: Posthumously published in 1896

Context & Background

Emily Dickinson’s Style: Dickinson is renowned for her unconventional punctuation, slant rhyme, and deep exploration of internal states such as isolation, mental distress, and mortality.
Themes of the Poem: This poem uses the extended metaphor of a funeral to describe a mental collapse—a “death” of rational thought and self-awareness.
Historical/Cultural Setting: Written during a period of personal introspection and reclusive living, the poem reflects broader 19th-century preoccupations with death, the afterlife, and the limits of human perception.

Summary of the Poem

The poem is structured as a dramatic narrative of a psychological breakdown, depicted through the metaphor of a funeral within the speaker’s mind.

Stanza 1:
The speaker experiences the sensation of a funeral occurring inside her brain. Mourners move back and forth, suggesting the relentless and cyclic nature of troubling thoughts that overwhelm her sense of reason.
Stanza 2:
As the mourners take their seats, a ritualistic, drum-like service begins. The continuous drumming symbolizes the unstoppable progression toward mental numbness.
Stanza 3:
The imagery of a box being lifted—symbolic of a coffin—further emphasizes the theme of mental death. The sound of creaking reinforces the heavy, inevitable nature of this internal demise.
Stanza 4:
The tolling of space and the transformation of the speaker into “Being, but an Ear” illustrate how her identity is reduced to passive reception of overwhelming sensations. The vastness of existence becomes a relentless, echoing sound.
Stanza 5:
Finally, the breaking of a “Plank in Reason” represents the collapse of logical thought, leading to a metaphorical plunge into an abyss where understanding—and perhaps the self—is irretrievably lost.

Analysis of the Poem

Central Themes

Mental Collapse & Loss of Reason:
The funeral metaphor captures the gradual disintegration of the speaker’s rational mind. This progression from controlled thought to overwhelming chaos is central to the poem.
Isolation and Alienation:
The experience of an internal, private funeral underscores the speaker’s isolation. The collapse of her internal world leads to a feeling of profound alienation.
Perception and Reality:
Dickinson challenges the boundary between sensory experience and mental reality. The auditory imagery—drumming, tolling bells—blurs the line between external sounds and internal turmoil.

Literary Devices

Metaphor & Symbolism:
- Funeral & Coffin: Represent the death of rational thought.
- Boots of Lead: Symbolize the weight of psychological burden.
- Plank in Reason: A metaphor for the fragile nature of rationality.
Repetition & Rhythm:
Repeated words like “treading” and “beating” mimic the persistent, rhythmic onslaught of the speaker’s distress, reinforcing the sense of inescapable mental pressure.
Enjambment:
The poem’s flow, carried across lines, mirrors the continuous and unstoppable descent into mental chaos.

Discussion & Analysis Questions

Comprehension Questions

Funeral Imagery: What does the funeral symbolize in the context of the speaker’s mental state?
Progression of Thought: How does the poem depict the transition from coherent thought to a state of numbness?
Sensory Language: Identify and explain the significance of the auditory imagery used throughout the poem.

Analytical Questions

Metaphor of Collapse: How does the metaphor of a “Plank in Reason” breaking relate to the overall theme of mental disintegration?
Repetition as a Device: What is the effect of repeated phrases (e.g., “treading—treading”) on the reader’s perception of the speaker’s psychological state?
Interplay of Silence and Sound: Discuss the role of silence in contrast to the loud, drumming sounds in the poem. What might this duality suggest about the nature of internal experience?

Interpretive Questions

The Nature of ‘Death’: Does the poem refer solely to a mental breakdown, or might it also be read as an exploration of existential or spiritual death?
Reader’s Response: In what ways might different readers interpret the “funeral” metaphor based on their own experiences with loss or mental distress?
Ambiguity of the Ending: What are some possible interpretations of the final line “Finished knowing—then—”? How does this open-ended conclusion affect your understanding of the poem?

Teaching Strategies & Additional Notes

Class Discussion:
Engage students by asking them to reflect on personal experiences of overwhelming emotions, comparing these to the poem’s depiction of internal collapse.
Close Reading:
Use small group discussions to analyze key phrases and imagery, encouraging students to explore multiple interpretations.
Creative Response:
Invite students to write a short reflective piece or a visual interpretation (e.g., a collage or drawing) that represents the poem’s mood and themes.
Comparative Analysis:
Compare this poem with other Dickinson works that explore similar themes (like “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—”) to deepen understanding of her unique poetic style.