Essay
Analysing 'I felt a Funeral - in my Brain'
Analysing 'I felt a Funeral - in my Brain' by Emily Dickinson, an A grade exam style answer.
[Show more]
1 review
By: maechew16 • 3 year ago
Content preview
‘I felt a Funeral - in my Brain’Explore how Emily Dickinson presents an unstable mind in ‘I felt a funeral in my brain’ and make
connections with one or two other poems from your collection.
You should consider Dickinson’s use of poetic and stylistic techniques and significant literary or other
relevant contexts.
In a ‘I felt a Funeral - in my Brain’ Dickinson uses the senses to explore the loss of her rational
thought and sanity. She describes a slow descent into mental breakdown, using the extended
metaphor of a funeral.
In the opening two stanzas, Dickinson creates an incessant sound through the repeated dynamic
verbs and use of a caesura ‘treading-treading’ and ‘beating-beating’ that gives the impression of
intrusive and unwanted thought. This effect is highlighted with the strong, incessant rhyme of
‘fro/through’ and ‘drum/numb’. The anatomical effect of the preposition ‘in my brain’, and the
indefinite article ‘I felt a Funeral’, which is ambiguous in its meaning, foregrounds all the senses,
except for sight, that evokes a tactile atmosphere. The alliteration in ‘beating-beating’ continues the
anatomical description by making it sound like a pulsing headache. The idiomatic phrase ‘That
sense was breaking through’ implies that an idea is emerging, as well as creating an image of a floor
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller stu123. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £5.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
64438 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now