I felt a Funeral, in my Brain - Emily Dickinson
An Intimate Descent into the Mind’s Chaos
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 –
Emily Dickinson’s poem “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain” offers a striking portrayal of internal turmoil. The funeral metaphor becomes a vivid representation of a psychological breakdown, as if the poet’s mind is hosting its own funeral procession. Mourners tread repeatedly, mirroring the incessant pounding of distressing thoughts. The repetition of words like “treading” and “beating” underscores an unrelenting pressure, driving home the sense of a mind overwhelmed by chaos.
In the opening stanzas, Dickinson describes a funeral taking place “in [her] Brain,” suggesting that the event is both literal and figurative. The mourners appear to represent intrusive or oppressive thoughts pacing through her consciousness. The speaker gradually realizes that her sense of self is eroding, as her mind reaches a point of numbness under this relentless strain.
When she hears the mourners lift a coffin and carry it across her soul, it indicates a deeper passage—an internal crossing from rational thought to a place of emotional or mental isolation. The imagery of “Boots of Lead” emphasizes the weightiness of despair, implying that every step taken in this mental procession intensifies her burden.
The poem then transitions into grand, cosmic imagery, as if the entire sky has become a bell ringing out. In this moment, the poem juxtaposes the vast, echoing heavens with the speaker’s fragile psyche. Feeling both immersed in and separated from the universe, she likens herself to “Being, but an Ear,” absorbing every tolling sound around her. This description highlights the experience of being hyper-aware—unable to block out the intensifying reverberations.
Ultimately, the “Plank in Reason” breaks, and the speaker plunges “down, and down,” each impact revealing another layer of her disintegrating consciousness. The final line, “And Finished knowing—then—” trails off, leaving readers with a sense of abrupt disconnection. We are left to interpret whether the speaker descends into madness or simply moves beyond the realm of conscious comprehension.
Dickinson’s trademark use of dashes gives the poem a halting, rhythmic quality, imitating the unpredictable nature of mental collapse. Each dash suspends the reader in a moment of uncertainty, enhancing the poem’s haunting undertones. In a broader sense, “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain” speaks to universal fears of losing one’s grip on reality, offering a resonant look at how the mind can become its own battleground. By using the funeral as a metaphor, Dickinson poignantly illustrates that mental anguish can feel akin to mourning the death of one’s former self.
Key points
• The funeral metaphor symbolizes a psychological collapse or transformation.
• Repetitive words underscore relentless mental turmoil.
• Vivid imagery of weight, sound, and cosmic expanse highlights overwhelming distress.
• The poem ends ambiguously, reflecting the uncertainty of the speaker’s mental resolution.