Poem Analysis - It Don T Sound So Terrible Quite As It Did

An Encounter with Mortality

Emily Dickinson's "It don’t sound so terrible quite as it did" is a poignant exploration of confronting mortality and finding ways to soften its harsh reality. The poem navigates the speaker's shifting perspective on death, moving from initial terror to a more managed acceptance. The tone begins with trepidation but gradually evolves towards a sense of resignation and even a touch of pragmatic observation. This transformation is achieved through intellectual distancing and the application of time as a buffer against fear.

Taming the Terrible

One of the central themes in the poem is the confrontation with mortality. The speaker initially experiences death as something "terrible," a sentiment emphasized by the raw, repetitive phrase "Dead, Brain, Dead." However, the poem immediately proposes strategies for mitigating this terror. The speaker attempts to intellectualize death, translating it into "Latin" and subjecting it to the "rule" of reason and academic distance. This act suggests a desire to control and understand something inherently uncontrollable and frightening. By placing death within a framework of formal language and study, the speaker hopes to diminish its power.

The Soothing Power of Time

The poem also highlights the theme of time as a buffer against fear. The speaker suggests that looking "a Year" ahead can significantly alter one's perception of death. This act of projecting into the future allows the speaker to see death as something that becomes more manageable, like a "fit" or "Murder" that loses its intensity with distance. The line "I shall have waded down one Day" implies a gradual acclimatization to the idea of death. With each passing day, the speaker moves closer to it, but also becomes more prepared to face it. This gradual approach transforms the overwhelming fear of death into a manageable, almost predictable, event.

Habituation and Acceptance

Another important theme is the idea of habituation and acceptance. The speaker observes that "the Tomb / Like other new Things shows largest then / And smaller, by Habit." This suggests that even death, initially a daunting prospect, can become less frightening through familiarity. Just as we adapt to new experiences, we can also adapt to the idea of our own mortality. The poem suggests a process of desensitization, where repeated exposure to the thought of death diminishes its power to terrify. This echoes a common psychological response to fear: the more we confront it, the less control it has over us.

The Tomb and its Shifting Significance

The image of the "Tomb" is a recurring symbol in the poem. Initially, it represents the ultimate fear and finality of death. However, as the poem progresses, the Tomb transforms into something almost mundane. It becomes "like other new Things," suggesting that it is just another experience that will eventually become familiar and less frightening. This shift in the Tomb's symbolism reflects the speaker's evolving perspective on death. It is no longer an abstract terror, but a concrete reality that can be understood and even, to some extent, accepted.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, "It don’t sound so terrible quite as it did" is a powerful meditation on confronting mortality. Through strategies of intellectual distancing, the application of time, and the process of habituation, the speaker attempts to soften the harsh reality of death. The poem ultimately suggests that while death may initially seem terrifying, it is possible to find ways to manage our fear and approach the inevitable with a sense of resignation and even acceptance. The journey from initial terror to eventual understanding is a testament to the human capacity for resilience in the face of life's greatest challenge.