The brain – is wider than the sky by Emily Dickinson at first glance is relatively simple but explores many significant topics, which are much expressed by the use of similes and metaphors. In particular, these themes include human experience, nature, and God. All of it is woven together to show the wonder and importance of the human mind. Throughout three stanzas of the poem, Dickinson makes three comparisons of the human brain to the outside world. The first stanza is devoted to comparing the former with the sky: “The Brain – is wider than the Sky “(Dickinson, 2004). The author says that there are no boundaries for the human mind, unlike the sky, and it includes the whole universe: “For – put them side by side – The one the other will contain” (Dickinson, 2004). This metaphor conveys to the reader that a person has unlimited possibilities to explore the world around him. Simultaneously, the second stanza compares the brain to the sea: “The Brain is deeper than the sea” (Dickinson, 2004). It also allows the author to transfer the idea of the superiority of human reason. Apart from collating the brain to the sea, Dickinson also uses a metaphor comparing the former to a sponge: “The one the other will absorb – As sponges – Buckets – do “(Dickinson, 2004). Thus, the author says that as sponges can take water from a bucket, the brain can contain infinite amounts of different information. Finally, the third stanza is the most difficult in the poem. The author makes a double comparison in it: “The Brain is just the weight of God -… And they will differ – if they do – As Syllable from Sound “(Dickinson, 2004). Dickinson says that the distinction between the human mind and God’s energy will be analogous to the difference between sound and syllable. To summarize, it is impossible to overestimate the significance of the similes and metaphors Dickinson uses to convey people’s enormous capabilities and their minds, which everyone should remember and appreciate.
Reference List
Dickinson, E. (2004) The brain — is wider than the sky.