I Felt a Funeral in my Brain’ by Emily Dickinson – defence in favour of the author
‘I Felt a Funeral in my Brain’ is possibly one of the most powerful poems written by Emily Dickinson and it describes emargination by townsfolk on the issue of thought and unhappiness. Sadness and reclusivity are issues which often crop up in Emily Dickinson poems and this one is really no exception.
The speaker as such is Dickinson herself and if he is brooding and unhappy then she definitely should not be in the least punished for her actions. Unhappiness is a state of mind and could be brought about by various factors which include a situation where home is creating a tense and nervous situation or other similar factors.
Dickinson focuses on the box in her poem and the plank of lead is also an important and crucial issue, not to say that this is not strange enough in its own sense of the word. Dickinson attempts to describe what can be termed as an execution where the plank drops and the victim descends several feet into the maelstrom of death.
But why should anyone be actually punished for being unhappy, I ask? Dickinson equates her unhappiness with the Plank of Reason but it appears that the townspeople have absolutely no truck with all this and will rather go the whole hog and do their utmost to get rid of the speaker. Yet as triumph comes through, there is also the issue of being totally unhappy with one’s life which is perhaps the main point of all proceedings.
Naturally enough Dickinson does have her bad points in the poem but this certainly does not justify her going to jail or her execution for that matter. One must insist that the townspeople are definitely wrong in their insistence on punishing the speaker as all this is created by foreboding and complete unhappiness regarding a situation which cannot be arranged.
The townspeople should do well to heed the warnings emanating from Dickinson’s poem which is one of the classics of literature. It should continue to create a situation where life is regarded as one big and intriguing whirlpool which continues to dig itself deeper into the maelstrom of trouble and unhappiness.
The timing of the Bell is also an important part of the poem as it demonstrates how punishment is very close to being executed in more ways than one. Dickinson’s thesis is powerful and romantic although one must admit that certain facets of the poem are slightly unclear. Yet one is almost convinced that to get out of jail, the speaker has to intrinsically look forward and not backward and has to attempt to convince the townspeople that he/she is right to speak about unhappiness in the context of the world’s surroundings.
Nothwitstanding all its defects, this poem is truly a great one and demonstrates the total power of writing by Dickinson who creates a situation practically out of nothing. Her plot creates that sort of situation which may be analysed only by deep study on the issues of complete understanding and eventual punishment which comes out when the townspeople finally have their say and execute the subject. However with some persuasive advocacy, it is possible to get someone out of jail by using proper and logical arguments to achieve same.
References:
“Dickinson, Emily,” The New International Encyclopædia. New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1905.
“Dickinson, Emily,” The New Student's Reference Work, Chicago: F.E. Compton and Co., 1914.
