I felt a Funeral, in my Brain: Structure & Language Techniques

Structure

“I felt a Funeral, in my Brain” follows a unique structure, with five stanzas, each containing four lines. This consistent structure contributes to the song-like, rolling rhythm of the poem, contributing to the sense of relentless, unstoppable mental decay experienced by the speaker.
There is no regular rhyme scheme, creating a sense of unease in line with the theme of profound mental disturbance.

Language Techniques

Personification: Dickinson uses personification throughout, such as ‘Mourners to and fro/Kept treading’. Here, her abstract feelings of despair are presented as mourners at a funeral, demonstrating the depth of her emotional pain.
Metaphor: The central metaphor of a funeral in the speaker’s brain is used to track a psychological journey from grief-stricken awareness or consciousness to the loss of consciousness or mind.
Repetition: The repetition of the word ‘treading’ in the first stanza emphasises the ongoing, oppressive nature of the funeral, reflecting the speaker’s psychological torment.
Alliteration: The use of alliteration, such as ‘Bell - broke - surmising’ in the fourth stanza, creates a sense of harmony. However, the words themselves represent discordant sounds, which juxtaposes the sense of serenity the poetic device often conveys - this discord adds to the feeling of mental unease.
Imagery: Dickinson uses imagery heavily throughout the poem, often in tandem with the metaphors used. The recurring image of the funeral serves to communicate the speaker’s feelings of disconnect and gradual disintegration of her mental state.

Remember to make links between the structure and language techniques to show their collective impact on the themes of the poem when writing essays or answers. These techniques and others work together to create a highly charged, deeply felt exploration of mental anguish.