Heart, we will forget him, You and I, tonight! You must forget the warmth he gave, I will forget the light.
Emily DickinsonRead
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 —
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the emotional numbness and the mechanical response to pain after suffering.
Emily Dickinson's quote captures the profound sense of emptiness and detachment that often follows significant emotional or physical pain. It illustrates how individuals may feel 'ceremonious' yet numb, akin to inanimate objects, as they navigate their way through the aftermath of distress. The reference to a 'stiff Heart' questions the reality of pain, suggesting that the experience can feel both immediate and timeless. Ultimately, it portrays the stages of coping with loss, from initial chill and stupor to the eventual process of letting go, akin to the way we remember profound coldness long after it has passed.
Themes
PainNumbnessEmotionsSufferingLetting GoLossHealingCoping
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on mental health, this quote could emphasize the recovery journey.
More from Emily Dickinson
All quotes →I held a jewel in my fingers And went to sleep. The day was warm, and winds were prosy; I said: "'T will keep." I woke and chid my honest fingers,— The gem was gone; And now an amethyst remembrance Is all I own.
Emily DickinsonRead
I'll tell you how the sun rose, a ribbon at a time. The steeples swam in amethyst, The news like squirrels ran. The hills untied their bonnets, The bobolinks begun. Then I said softly to myself, "That must have been the sun!
Emily DickinsonRead
My best Acquaintances are those With Whom I spoke no Word
Emily DickinsonRead
This is the Hour of Lead- Remembered, if outlived, As freezing persons, recollect the Snow- First-Chill-then Stupor- then the letting go---
Emily DickinsonRead
Luck is not chance, it's toil; fortune's expensive smile is earned.
Emily DickinsonRead
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