I Felt a Cleaving in My Mind
identity
memory
lyric poem
tense
I felt a cleaving in my mind As if my brain had split; I tried to match it, seam by seam, But could not make them fit. The thought behind I strove to join Unto the thought before, But sequence ravelled out of reach Like balls upon a floor.
I Felt a Cleaving in My Mind - meaning Summary
Mental Split Resisted Repair
The poem describes a sudden fracture in the speaker’s mind and the failure of efforts to restore coherent thought. Using tactile and domestic imagery—seams, matching, balls on a floor—the speaker attempts to join a thought that follows with a thought that precedes, but mental sequence slips away. The tone conveys bewilderment and helplessness at cognitive disintegration rather than physical injury or moral crisis.
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