One need not be a Chamber- to be Haunted: Key Quotes

One need not be a Chamber- to be Haunted: Key Quotes

“One need not be a Chamber- to be Haunted”: Key Quotes

# Beginning Lines

The beginning of Dickinson’s poem is striking in its evocative imagery.

• “One need not be a Chamber – to be Haunted / One need not be a House – / The Brain has Corridors – surpassing / Material Place” — These lines effectively set up the central metaphor of the poem, representing the mind as a haunted house.

# Inner Self

Throughout the poem, Dickinson focuses on the examination of the inner self.

• “Far safer, through an Abbey gallop, / The Stones a’chase” — This quote not only reflects the complex imagery but also the theme of inner turmoil and fear.

# Fear and Power

Dickinson further illustrates the power of our mind’s fears over the physical world.

• “’Tis easier to meet a Tomb aloud / Than on the mental Road” — This illustrates how the mental fears and hauntings are far more frightening than physical ghosts or the thought of death.

# Ending Lines

Dickinson ends her poem leaving the reader contemplating about the power of the mind.

• “The Horror not to be surveyed – / But skirted in the Dark – / With Consciousness suspended – / And Being under Lock –” — The ending lines encounters the idea of not being able to escape your own thoughts, being locked in them with the ‘Horror not to be surveyed’.