This poem by Emily Dickinson is focused about the power of the human brain and its function. She indicates a mass of imagery in her writing and uses dashes to create an emphasis. The brain is a powerful tool for humans and without it we will not exist.

The Brain—is wider than the Sky—

For—put them side by side—

The one the other will contain

With ease—and You—beside—

Dickinson makes a metaphor of the brain and the sky and describes how vast it can mentally be. Every brain is intellectually unique in its own way and people would push the limits to see how much power they can consume. Intelligence can be built over time and eventually it will grow. Although intelligence is not always the reason for a powerful brain but imagination is limitless. The mind is filled with an infinite amount of imaginations wider than a sky. Even the most beautiful sunsets or the aurora borealis cannot compare to the human brain. If you have ever looked at a human brain physically, the organ itself is intricate and delicate but it can control your whole body.

The Brain is deeper than the sea—

For—hold them—Blue to Blue—

The one the other will absorb—

As Sponges—Buckets—do—

“The Brain is deeper than the sea—,” accentuates that it can absorb so much information deeper than the sea. It connects with the title, “The Brain—is wider than the Sky—.” Blue to Blue represents the color of the ocean and the sky. The ocean is dense and filled with many sea creatures in various shapes and sizes. Dickinson compares the brain’s power to absorb information to a sponge. A sponge has the ability to absorb liquid in a full bucket and so does the function of the brain. We can absorb ideas and information to create this dense sea of imaginations and fantasy. As humans we take in new information and relate it to the outside world. We try to understand different meanings and phrases that can relate to life. Reading a poem, quote, or novel can change a person’s perspective of life and that is the power of literature and its connections with the brain.

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—

Dickinson states that, “The Brain is just the weight of God—.” This comparison is strong because she uses the “father and creator of heaven and Earth,” to describe the brain. She does not say the brain is more powerful than God but she mentions that it has equal power. The brain can be similar to God and his creations but do they differ? She states that they differ like “syllable from sound.” A sound can be anything you can imagine such as the sound of nature, rain, or an instrument. A syllable is more configured to a unit of organization of a sequence of words. The brain is structured and precise while God is seen to be of a more spiritual thought of nature. Dickinson was very rebellious over God because in her childhood she was “conflicted and ambivalent over Christian orthodoxy that she resisted Puritan attitudes around her.”

Emily Dickinson is an interesting poet because as she was living, she did not want any of her poems published. She said that, “Publication—is the Auction / Of the Mind of Man.” Being isolated in her own home was more favorable to her than exploring the outside world. She wanted to keep her poems to herself because it intrigued her. The creation of great poetry can satisfy ones mind and so Dickinson cherished every work she did to herself.