The Mystery Of Pain

[alterbridge88]

Okay, so I need to analyze this poem and I've tried but somehow i don't think my understanding goes into great depth, it just states the obvious. I always seem to have a hard time expressing what goes through my head while reading poetry. It slightly confuses me because I know there is always much much more than one way to look at it and everyone see's it differently. If anyone wants to throw opinions or ideas of what this poem means to them or how they interpret it I'd be so thankful!!

The Mystery of Pain
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.

-she personifies the pain "recollect", or "perceive"
-i am not exactly sure what she means by blank, does she mean pain emotionally leaves you feeling empty or that its not as tough to endure at times...a little confused as you can see by my rambling on.
-pain remembers the past, and warns of future pains lines 3 & 7/8

[ktd222]

-i am not exactly sure what she means by blank, does she mean pain emotionally leaves you feeling empty or that its not as tough to endure at

Well let’s put the first line another way. An element of pain is blank. Sure “blank” can mean empty space; but in this case she refers to “blank” more as an attribute, something which partly makes up what pain is. Then the rest of this poem she goes on and defines this “blank”.

[lancymoor102]

I am 42 years old and have had 2 children. I have had pain mostly on my right ovary for about a month. It went away for a few days then came back. When it first started it was straight across my stomach from one ovary to the other. My stomach felt like it was going to explode. I was in bed with horrible pain. It feels like something is tearing apart inside me. I can generally handle a lot of pain but not this pain. Please advice me.