I heard a Fly buzz – when I died Emily Dickinson

Death & Flies When an elderly family member is about to die, how do the family members act? Do flies go along with death? How so?

Sooo…what is this poem about? In this poem, Dickinson describes the final moments between life and death. A fly, an almost trivial symbol of life, is what the speaker is most aware of before death. They fly is a constant nuisance and breaks up the seriousness of the situation (the death of a person).

I Heard a Fly buzz – when I died (Pg. 422) I heard a Fly buzz - when I died - The Stillness in the Room Was like the stillness in the Air -  Between the Heaves of Storm - The Eyes around - had wrung them dry- And Breaths were gathering sure For that last Onset - when the King Be witnessed – in the Room - I willed my Keepsakes - Signed away What portion of me be Assignable - and then it was  There interposed a Fly - With Blue - uncertain, stumbling Buzz Between the light - and me - And then the Windows failed - and then I could not see to see -

Stanza One I heard a Fly buzz - when I died - The Stillness in the Room Was like the stillness in the Air -  Between the Heaves of Storm - 1) Why was there a stillness in the room? Poetry Terms: Onomatopoeia: Buzz Simile: The stillness.. was like the stillness in the air between the heaves of storm.

Stanza Two The Eyes around - had wrung them dry- And Breaths were gathering sure For that last Onset - when the King Be witnessed – in the Room – 2) Why have the eyes been “wrung dry”? 3) Who’s eyes are they? 4) Who is the “king”?

Stanza Three I willed my Keepsakes - Signed away What portion of me be Assignable - and then it was  There interposed a Fly - 5) What does a person do when they “will their keepsakes away”? What are you able to not “assign” away? 6) What did the fly do in this stanza/scene? Every time the concept of death is spoken, there is always a fly ‘buzzing’ around. It’s as if it is there to break up this heavy moment. Vocabulary: Interposed- cause to intervene; interrupt

Stanza Four With Blue - uncertain, stumbling Buzz Between the light - and me - And then the Windows failed - and then I could not see to see - 7) What does the light symbolize? 8) What do the windows represent? 9) How many syllables are in each line?

Stanza Four With Blue - uncertain, stumbling Buzz Between the light - and me - And then the Windows failed - and then I could not see to see - 10) What are the terms for these types of meter (syllables per line/stanza)?

That buzzing fly… Q?) Why would Emily Dickinson write a poem about death and include a fly buzzing around? To break up the tension and heaviness of the situation? To make us realize that even during heavy events as someone dying, there is still other life continuing in their everyday ways? Q?) What does a fly suggest when it comes to death? Smell, rot, decay?

Is there an afterlife? Q?) Some people believe in a spiritual afterlife. Does this poem back that idea up? Maybe death is just about decay and flies. Maybe this person sees this fly during their last breath and realizes that it might be different than how people “believe” it to be. Maybe there isn’t an afterlife…maybe it is just decay and flies.

Heaven = Hell? The fly could also stand for Beelzebub, the lord of the flies. This is another term for Satan. Could the King that the observer/speaker is waiting for turn out to be Satan?

Summarize 11) Write a quick summary of this poem in your own words.