I don't get the sense that he's in a coffin, so much as he's in a very tight-fitting box. Since this is a swords card, I'd interpret this as the box is a mental one of his own making...and the swords are pinning him in place even as he tries unsuccessfully to avoid them. Makes me wonder if he knew the swords were coming...kind of like how you hide in a closet, knowing that's one of the first places that someone will look for you. The only way for him to escape would be to cut himself even further and try to drive the swords out of his flesh somehow...and he probably wouldn't survive the attempt. Better to leave the swords in and take it like a man.
But even with all of these stab wounds, he is not bleeding! This is a mental card...his thoughts are killing him. Reality has bitten in a big way. The fat lady is hitting her aria. The pooch has been screwed.
If the box were bigger, he'd be able to dodge the swords. Since he can't, he gets sstabbed...but look where most of the piercings are:
--left side of nose
--left hand
--left arm
--left foot
Left hand is the intuitive side...this could indicate that the intuitive should be "pierced" e.g., a more logical approach is needed. OR...it could indicate that the left/intuitive is of import here...some sort of message to pay heed to that side of us.
AND...it's the side that is in the light that has been skewered; the parts of him which are in shadow (right arm, leg side of face) are relatively untouched. Is this a message to embrace the darkness of self and the situation?
Note the two swords at the top which are bracketing the right eye, which is wide open...he needs to SEE them (let's go back to the 2 of Swords) and recognize his choices.
One sword is in the middle of his chest, which is actually where the heart is located (contrary to popular belief, it is not on the left side of the chest).
One sword pierces up from the floor on his right side, and another sword comes in from the left and crosses the one coming up from the floor...effectively bracketing the man in, even if he wasn't pierced like a punk rocker.
Most of these stabs (if you look at their locations) arent' fatal in and of themselves, but that heart piercing probably is. This could be a metaphor for piercing to the heart of the matter, which is the most critical aspect of the situation which caused him to curl up on the box and get skewered like a shish kebab.
What's that swirly area around the tiny blue circle (right below the skewered left arm)? What's that all about?
T.