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Yeah, I'm kind of new here...but I need a little help with Emily Dickinson's poem "The Brain is Wider than the Sky". I need to explain three of her works, and my teacher preferably wants other views than just my own, for a research paper. Any help would be greatly appreciated! :)
I'm also working on "There is a Certain Slant of Light"
and "The Soul Selects her Own Society" if you have better ideas on those.
Thanks!:D
The Brain -- is wider than the Sky --
For -- put them side by side --
The one the other will contain
With ease -- and You -- beside --
* As in, The brain is capable of taking that sky and keeping it as a memory. Not only that, it can do it a million times over. The brain can hold more dreams and thoughts than the sky ever could.
The Brain is deeper than the sea --
For -- hold them -- Blue to Blue --
The one the other will absorb --
As Sponges -- Buckets -- do --
* Same basic principle as the last stanza, but used this time to convey the brain's ability to absorb information. Deep Thoughts.
The Brain is just the weight of God --
For -- Heft them -- Pound for Pound --
And they will differ -- if they do --
As Syllable from Sound --
* The powers of the mind are limitless, but useless without God. For example, a syllable wouldn't get anywhere without sound to carry it. It's a very powerful stanza.
I hope that helped a little bit.
After a quick read through, I would say that the general theme of the poem relates to realizing that the universe is bigger than any one of us or humanity as a whole. The sea, a constant, continues its tidal cycle with or without us. By remaining anchored to nature, we can keep perspective about the world.
Who wrote the introductory material? Even if it wasn't the poet, it's no coincidence that this person wrote that the sea "pulses" through their lives. Look for the parallel in the last stanza.
apostille
'The Brain -- is wider than the Sky' illustrates how the sea, the sky, God and - if you will - the universe coalesce in the each of us. Without you, without me, there is void.