Symbolism and Metaphor
The poem, “After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes” by Emily Dickson’s is a piece that is acclaimed as the greatest in portraying life and death(Dickinson& Franklin, 1862). The poem underlinesthe theme of misery andpain as a part of human existence that is inevitable but also compares the impacts of pain on the slow numbing process of freezing to death. This essay focuses on discussing the key symbols and metaphors in the poem, “After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes,” the meaning these symbols and metaphors convey to the readers and how they enrich the poem by deepening the understanding of the theme of pain and misery.
Symbolism, Metaphor and the Theme of Pain and Misery
In the first stanza, there is the funeral motif that is emphasized through the symbols of the ceremony and the tomb. The second stanza has the stone, wood, and quartz that are symbols of benumbed consciousness, which gives place to the image of frozenness and desolation in the third stanza(Dickinson& Franklin, 1862). All these images symbolize a sense of shock, pain, and trauma, making the poemthe most significant poem on pain. In the second stanza, Dickson illustrates that the protagonist walks in a circle since she lacks a place to go, showcasing a feeling of frustration. In the poem, there is a dramatization of the sense of emotional shockwhich acts to protect the pain. One of the most brilliant metaphors used in the poem is quartz contentment that combines heaviness, earthiness, and density with the notion of contentment (Dickson & Franklin, 1862). These symbols andmetaphor enrich the poem by arousing a sense of numbness of body and mind in the reader, that is followed by significant pain.. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Conclusion
The poem, “after great pain, a formal feeling comes,” uses symbols and metaphors to describe the emotional state that has settled densely on the survivor of recent trauma and grief. The pain could be psychological since there lacks any damage to the body or any healing pursuits. The protagonist withdraws from the world, and a funeral goes inside her, with her nerves acting as the tombstone and mourners.
Symbolism and Metaphor
The poem, “After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes” by Emily Dickson’s is a piece that is acclaimed as the greatest in portraying life and death(Dickinson& Franklin, 1862). The poem underlinesthe theme of misery andpain as a part of human existence that is inevitable but also compares the impacts of pain on the slow numbing process of freezing to death. This essay focuses on discussing the key symbols and metaphors in the poem, “After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes,” the meaning these symbols and metaphors convey to the readers and how they enrich the poem by deepening the understanding of the theme of pain and misery.
Symbolism, Metaphor and the Theme of Pain and Misery
In the first stanza, there is the funeral motif that is emphasized through the symbols of the ceremony and the tomb. The second stanza has the stone, wood, and quartz that are symbols of benumbed consciousness, which gives place to the image of frozenness and desolation in the third stanza(Dickinson& Franklin, 1862). All these images symbolize a sense of shock, pain, and trauma, making the poemthe most significant poem on pain. In the second stanza, Dickson illustrates that the protagonist walks in a circle since she lacks a place to go, showcasing a feeling of frustration. In the poem, there is a dramatization of the sense of emotional shockwhich acts to protect the pain. One of the most brilliant metaphors used in the poem is quartz contentment that combines heaviness, earthiness, and density with the notion of contentment (Dickson & Franklin, 1862). These symbols andmetaphor enrich the poem by arousing a sense of numbness of body and mind in the reader, that is followed by significant pain.
Conclusion
The poem, “after great pain, a formal feeling comes,” uses symbols and metaphors to describe the emotional state that has settled densely on the survivor of recent trauma and grief. The pain could be psychological since there lacks any damage to the body or any healing pursuits. The protagonist withdraws from the world, and a funeral goes inside her, with her nerves acting as the tombstone and mourners.
References
Dickinson, E., & Franklin, R. (1862). After Great Pain a Formal Feeling Comes. The Poems of Emily Dickinson.Retrieved from https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/smonte11/files/2011/08/Honors-Class-Poems.pdf
References
Dickinson, E., & Franklin, R. (1862). After Great Pain a Formal Feeling Comes. The Poems of Emily Dickinson.Retrieved from https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/smonte11/files/2011/08/Honors-Class-Poems.pdf