The Heart Has Narrow Banks
poem 928
The Heart Has Narrow Banks - meaning Summary
Containment and Sudden Rupture
The poem contrasts the heart’s apparent limits with its deep, sea-like capacity. Dickinson sketches a steady, monotonous interior that seems measurable until a sudden upheaval—"Hurricane"—forces the heart to recognize its true, convulsive range. Tranquility proves fragile, a thin barrier that a momentary shock can demolish, exposing emotional expanse and instability. The piece explores how brief crises reveal hidden intensity and dissolve the illusion of calm.
Read Complete AnalysesThe Heart has narrow Banks It measures like the Sea In mighty unremitting Bass And Blue Monotony Till Hurricane bisect And as itself discerns Its sufficient Area The Heart convulsive learns That Calm is but a Wall Of unattempted Gauze An instant’s Push demolishes A Questioning dissolves.
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