does anyone here know what this poems means?

Question

Emily Dickinson - After great pain, a formal feeling comes
After great pain, a formal feeling comes --
The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs --
The stiff Heart questions was it He, that bore,
And Yesterday, or Centuries before?

The Feet, mechanical, go round --
Of Ground, or Air, or Ought --
A Wooden way
Regardless grown,
A Quartz contentment, like a stone --

This is the Hour of Lead --
Remembered, if outlived,
As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow --
First -- Chill -- then Stupor -- then the letting go --

Answer 1

Uhmm i wish i could helop more i just think its about letting go though.

Answer 2

First of all there is never only one meaning to a good poem, and ol' Emily was a master. The meaning for you is just as important as the meaning for me or anybody else. However there is some general comments that I would like to make.

She's talking to me about a broken heart. If you have had one, then you would know the feeling. It could be a broken heart from a failed romance or from anything that causes great pain and suffering (perhaps the loss of a child).

She's talking about the numb feeling that you go through after the initial shock. 'The nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs' The nerves where once excitement flowed are now 'dead'.

'This is the hour of lead' Your heart feels heavy as if made of, of, well, lead. Even if you get past this feeling you will always remember how it felt.

The 'Chill' is the shock of sorrow, the 'Stupor' is the empty vacuum that love once occupied but you have to let go of this feeling and move on, or you will be frozen in time.

Answer 3

Emily Dickinson - After great pain, a formal feeling comes

After great pain, a formal feeling comes --
(After someone dies/at their funeral. Formal meaning having to sit socially appropriate.)

The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs --
(You just want to scream and run away, but you can't. Too laden with sorrow.)

The stiff Heart questions was it He, that bore,
And Yesterday, or Centuries before?
(Not quite sure here)

The Feet, mechanical, go round --
Of Ground, or Air, or Ought --
(You walk around in a numb zone.)

A Wooden way
(Like a soldier, stiff and ceremonial.)

Regardless grown,
(You grew from the experience)

A Quartz contentment, like a stone --
(People can see right through you,but you are unaware)

This is the Hour of Lead --
(An exaggeration of time when one loses someone they care deeply for)

Remembered, if outlived,
(a bitter remembrance will haunt you)

As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow --
(the hurt will never leave. It has made a lasting impression)

First -- Chill -- then Stupor -- then the letting go --
(These are the phases of dealing with death)

Answer 4

RE:
does anyone here know what this poems means?
Emily Dickinson - After great pain, a formal feeling comes
After great pain, a formal feeling comes --
The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs --
The stiff Heart questions was it He, that bore,
And Yesterday, or Centuries before?

The Feet, mechanical, go round --
Of Ground, or Air, or Ought...

Answer 5

The feeling of pain. Whether losing some one or a pain of love and what used to be. You have a feeling in your heart. A lonely, lost feeling. Your body is frozen, you're mind's a tumble. You've lost all hope. But you must let go. It'll be better in time. It's hard, with all the memories. It seems like yesterday, and the days you took for granted. But there isn't any reason to feel sad, yet one can't help to feel bad. So have your sadness, reminisce, but you have your own life to live. Let it go.

Answer 6

Emily Dickinson After Great Pain

Answer 7

This poem artistically describes the numbness that can occur after a great shock. She equates the detachment we often hide within to physical icons of hardness (tombs, wood, quartz, lead), and marries the word stiffness to our hearts, the source of our emotion, suggesting that the well of of feelings has frozen over.


This equates to the first stage of grief: Denial.

1. Denial and Isolation.
2. Anger.
3. Bargaining.
4. Depression.
5. Acceptance

At the end of the poem, she provides an ounce of hope by suggesting that at the end of this prolonged period of 'hardness', there will be a release, a 'letting go'. Perhaps this is akin to the fifth state of grief: acceptance.

Answer 8

With an e e cummings poem, saying "This is what it means to me" is like trying to nail Jello to a tree. This poem has always seemed very pro-feminist, or at least anti anti-feminist. It talks about independent thinking to me. Effie (a name that sounds suspiciously like the word "iffy") apparently never thought for herself and all that's left of her crumbly brain is a bunch of subjunctives: woulda, coulda ,shoulda, musta. Even God looks on those 6 crumbs with puzzlement; even His omniscience can't fathom why a person would live her life allowing others to think for her.

Answer 9

It means that when you feel sadness all your past feelings of wrong, sadness, ext come back to you in an almost weird comfort it comforts you because you know you survived the past and you can survive this. it also means that you not only remember sadness but you remember the good ol' times that you once had. it also reminds us to let go of our emotions and that we need to move on and it is also a way to enjoy sadness because it proves that we are human and can feel
hope this makes it clearer!

Answer 10

If I understand correctly, it speaks of death -- or rather, of dying. "After a great pain, a formal feeling comes... the nerves sit ceremonious, like tombs..." The body is known to remain after death. The organs remain behind; usable liver, brain, heart... and yet they are devoid of life. Hence 'ceremonious': for instance, think of the allegory of 'all dressed up and nowhere to go.'

Answer 11

It seems like she taking about a broken heart, or love being gone from her life and how it can feel like it's been forever, and going to be forever.