Popular Poem: The Mystery of Pain

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mily Dickinson narrated a poem entitling The Mystery of Pain. This poem is suitable to be taught for Junior High School students because it has a great moral value of life. It notices to be patient when we are in a pain, and we have to realize that everything will change, there is no everlasting pain. Since the language used is quite hard to understand, the teacher should assist students to find the correct interpretation of the poem.

 

The Mystery of Pain

by Emily Dickinson

Pain has an element of blank;

It cannot recollect

When it began, or if there were

A day when it was not.

It has no future but itself,

Its infinite realms contain

Its past, enlightened to perceive

New periods of pain.

   

1. Rhyme Scheme and Kind of Stanza.

    The rhyme scheme and kind of stanza of “blackbird” song are as follows  :

     a – b – c – d : quatrain

     a – b – c – b : quatrain                   

2. Denotation and Connotation

    Most of words used in “The Mystery of Pain” poem are denotation, and only one word is connotation. The denotation meaning in this poem such as : have, began, recollect, future, infinite, past, perceive etc. The connotative meaning in this poem is : a day  means once upon a time.

3. Personification

    Emily also uses figurative language in personifying pain. She is attributing human characteristics to something that doesn't actually have those characteristics. When she talks about what pain thinks and feels, she's really saying something about how we human beings think and feel when we're in pain. We can see in the poem, for example: its past, enlightened to perceive.

4. Symbol

    There is no symbol in this poem. Everything presented are unreal.

5. Tone

    The tone of this poem is anguished. The first stanza of the poem talks about how pain remembers the past. The second stanza talks about how pain looks at the future.

6. Time and Place Setting

    This is an everlasting poem means that, this poem is relevant to anytime.

7. Point of View

    In this poem, Emily acts as a viewer. She discerns a pain from her side. She is not included in the poem.

8. Theme

    This poem tells about the pain. It can’t be avoided, can’t be invited. It has been a part of our life, and it is temporary.

9. Messages

    We should not give up easily. We should be patient to face a problem. How bad the condition we faced in this life, we should be optimistic there will be good things behind the bad.

Analyzed by Marti, An English Teacher

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