A splinter lodged in the heart cannot be removed until the heart is torn open; where a dagger is required, a needle is of no use.

The poet touches on a raw truth about deep emotional suffering: sometimes a heartache is buried so far beneath the surface that mild, gentle comforts are useless. While a simple splinter can be coaxed out with a humble needle, a thorn lodged in the heart demands a dagger—it requires ripping the soul completely open to reach the source of the pain. It is a striking reminder that healing from profound grief often asks for drastic, painful confrontation rather than superficial remedies.