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 –
In this passage, the speaker describes an overwhelming mental experience reminiscent of a funeral. The imagery of mourners treading back and forth creates a sense of relentless sorrow, as if the weight of grief is bearing down on the speaker's mind. The beating of a drum symbolizes the continuous distress, making the speaker feel as though they are losing their grip on reality, conveying the intensity of their emotional turmoil.
As the scene unfolds, the speaker perceives a box being lifted, which metaphorically represents the heavy burdens of despair impacting their soul. The sound of the heavens tolling emphasizes a feeling of isolation and the profound silence that accompanies their suffering. Ultimately, a fracture in their reasoning leads to a descent into a chaotic state of awareness, suggesting a deep realization amidst the confusion, culminating in a harrowing exploration of existence and consciousness.
