How did the poet feel when the coffin was lifted by the mourners?
I Felt a Funeral in my Brain is a notable literary work by Emily Dickinson. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of I Felt a Funeral in my Brain.
Answer
How did the poet feel when the coffin was lifted by the mourners? [NU: 2015, 21]
Emily Dickinson’s (1830-1886) poem “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain” tells the story of a funeral taking place inside the poet’s own mind. She imagines the mourners walking, sitting, and holding a service. At one point, they lift the coffin. When the mourners lift the coffin, she feels deep mental pain. She also loses her sense of reason/thinking. So, this funeral image shows the poet’s mental pain and how she is going mad.
The Lifting of the Coffin: The poet describes that the mourners lift a coffin. He says,
“And then I heard them lift a Box
And creak across my Soul”
Here the “box” means the coffin. She hears a creaking sound as if the coffin is heavy. But this sound does not only come to her ears. She feels it across her very soul, as if the coffin is moving inside her. This shows the pain and burden she feels at that moment.
Boots of Lead: The mourners who carry the coffin wear “Boots of Lead.” Their heavy steps seem endless. The poet feels this weight pressing on her mind again and again. It is like she cannot escape from the funeral happening inside her.
Strange Experience: After the coffin is lifted, everything becomes strange for her. She hears heavens ringing like a bell. Her whole being turns into just an “ear.” She feels lost, silent, and alone. The lifting of the coffin pushes her closer to her mental breakdown.
In short, when the coffin was lifted, the poet felt deep pain, burden, and emptiness. She moves closer to losing her sense of reason/thinking.