Endless Possibilities

Francis Espiritu

ENGL 48B

Dickinson Journal Number 2

March 17 2011

Author Quote: "The brain is deeper than the sea-For - hold them - Blue to Blue - The one the other will absorb - As Sponges - Buckets - do -" (Dickinson 88; Poem 598)

Internet Source: "Dickinson spent seven years at the Academy, taking classes in English and classical literature, Latin, botany, geology, history, "mental philosophy," andarithmetic.^[19] Daniel Taggart Fiske, the school's principal at the time, would later recall that Dickinson was "very bright" and "an excellent scholar, of exemplary deportment, faithful in all school duties".^[20] Although she had a few terms off due to illness—the longest of which was in 1845–1846, when she was only enrolled for eleven weeks^[21]—she enjoyed her strenuous studies, writing to a friend that the Academy was "a very fine school"." (Wikipedia; Emily Dickinson)

Summary: Dickinson pretty much states that the brain is a very unique organ in the sense that despite it's size, it is able to store and absorb information that could possibly fill a sky-scraper. What she means by "buckets" is that information can easily leave an individuals brain or be forgotten if not used for a while, or when the "bucket is full".

Personal Opinion: What I find fascinating, is just like Dickinson, I find the brain to be a fascinating organ as well. The mere fact that it can store so much information is just amazing. However the question I want to ask is, "Can information or memories really be forgotten?" Or does it take a lot to just remember that "forgotten" information? Is the brain truly like a bucket that can only hold so much information; and eventually has to "toss" the excess water or memories in order to store new ones? I personally do not think that is possible. If anything, I think that the brain becomes a bucket when an individual becomes older when such illnesses as Alzheimers disease settles in. If anything, the brain will always remain to be like an endless sponge, and only can become a bucket when illness settles in.