I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to and fro
Kept treading − treading − till it seemed
That Sense was breaking through −
And when they all were seated,
A Service, like a Drum −
Kept beating − beating − till I thought
The use of repetition is both structurally and metaphorically important; by using the word “treading” twice, Dickinson creates a sort of syncopation within the poem that mimics the way that “mourners [walk] to and fro.” Imagistically, “treading” ties in with the sorrowful visual of a “Funeral in [the speaker’s] Brain.“ The speaker’s grim procession of thoughts and questions do not cease until "Sense”–rationality and pragmatism–finally takes over. The end of the stanza suggests a positive outcome, as if the speaker’s search for closure has been successful. However, by placing a dash at the end of the stanza, Dickinson creates ambiguity and suggests a potential turn of events. 

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