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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 -

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 4. What figures of speech are used? How do they contribute to the tone and meaning of the poem?

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 4. What figures of speech are used? How do they contribute to the tone and meaning of the poem?

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Dickinson uses a simile to compare the service to a drum “A Service, like a Drum -”. Drums are sometimes seen as distant or sinister instruments, because they are low and at times ominous and distant from the other instruments in a common band. The drum beating could represent her thoughts pounding on her head until she could feel a part of mentality finally surrendered. This comparison adds to the ominous tone of the poem because the drums are being casted as a dark and baleful addition to the poem and yet another symbol.

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 5. Are there any symbols? What do they mean? Are they universal symbols or do they arise from the context of this poem? 

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 5. Are there any symbols? What do they mean? Are they universal symbols or do they arise from the context of this poem? 

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Dickinson creates a funeral scene to symbolize that a part of her is dying. A funeral is a common representation of the bridge between life and death. The mourners around her representing her pain and struggles who are there to watch the part of herself that she lost which they themselves could have caused. However she remains conscious during the whole poem describing what she sees going on around her but remains silent while she stays stuck in her casket without pleading to get out.

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 6. What is the theme (the central idea) of this poem? Can you state it in a single sentence? Elaborate on your idea.

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 6. What is the theme (the central idea) of this poem? Can you state it in a single sentence? Elaborate on your idea.

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The theme of this poem is despair and madness. The poet has felt extremely overwhelmed with the idea of gaining consciousness when dying or dead. The entire poem has a sequence. The beginning starts off as eerie and halfway through the poem, it seems to be continuous then finally the end finishes off leaving the reader confused and curious. The overall aura of this poem is creepy and chilling, and I think the poet was aiming to make the readers feel that way.

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7. How important is the role of sound effects, such as rhyme and rhythm? How do they affect tone and meaning?

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7. How important is the role of sound effects, such as rhyme and rhythm? How do they affect tone and meaning?

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“And when they all were seated, a service, like a drum - kept beating - beating - til I thought my mind was going numb -” The alliteration and sound effects in this poem add a lot to this poem, the true meaning. The poet, Emily Dickinson, is feeling overwhelmed by the unconsciousness of her death. She also conveys the feeling of madness. Emily Dickinson expresses her fear and thought of being conscious after she dies. Using the comparison of a drum and the mourners of the funeral reveal that the poet is feeling instability and overburden.