Emily Dickinson’s “I Felt a Funeral in my Brain.”

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 [...]

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Booklist 2009 # 13: The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson is a stylistic anomaly, unappreciated during her own time period because of her modern sensibilities and aesthetic experimentation, yet whose works is firmly rooted in 19th century concerns and themes. However, even this is a gross oversimplification. At times, her 19th century thematic concerns bear a distinctly modern outlook, while her experimental style often has certain [...]

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