There is a pain--so utter

There is a pain--so utter--

It swallows substance up--

Then covers the Abyss with Trance--

So Memory can step

Around--across--upon it--

As one within a Swoon--

Goes safely--where an open eye--

Would drop Him--Bone by Bone.

                Through the use of imagery and personification, Dickinson conveys the idea that pain is so overwhelming that it consumes the mind. Dickinson’s use of caesura emphasizes the speaker’s realization of the power of pain. The line “It swallows substance up--”demonstrates how pain can take control of every aspect of one’s existence; moreover, this personification of pain implies that its victim can be blinded from the positive aspects of life. The speaker warns the audience that pain is nearly impossible to avoid once it has overtaken one’s mind by stating “So Memory can step Around—across—upon it--”.

                The central purpose of this poem is to demonstrate the negative effects on the life of one experiencing pain.

                When I first read this poem I felt forewarned. Knowing that pain can potentially overtake my mind is a frightening thought. Pain is something that I have always thought to be temporary; however, “There is a pain—so utter” clearly illustrates that if pain is not dealt with, it can become potentially overpowering in one’s life.