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Poet: Emily Dickinson (Emily Dickinson Art)
Poem: 465.
I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died
Volume: Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
Year: Published/Written in 1955
Comment 49 of 49, added on December 8th, 2009 at 6:21 PM.
One of the main final messages of this poem is the impending pressure of death, whether it be a literal or symbolic death. Death is foremost a period of transition in which the soul transcends from a living plane and becomes part of something otherworldly and enigmatic. In the wake of the Civil War, the effects of death were an ever-present reality for families across the nation. In this poem, Dickinson asks a question that especially haunted Americans of her time: what do the dying experience as they approach death? The initial experience of the narrator is one of complete stillness and silence; the stillness is like “between the Heaves of Storm” which eludes the idea that the process of dying is like transitioning between the known Storm of life into the unknown Storm of the afterlife. The “Eyes” surrounding the narrator are dry from having stopped mourning and the “Breaths” are gathered as they wait for the narrator to finally succumb to death. Despite the quietness of the scene, the narrator suggests that the room lacks tranquility; rather, the narrator contemplates that every aspect of his life that could be signed away has been relinquished to the living (“Signed away/ What portion of me be/ Assignable –“) so that all that is left is the body that he does not even own enough to control its vitality. The narrator’s death is also a period of anxious waiting for “when the King/ Be witnessed – in the Room –“. It is common to believe that some other-worldly figure must be present to accompany the dying into the afterlife, and as the narrator waits he hears the buzzing of the fly pervade the room.
Despite everyone’s anticipation of the “King”, the buzzing of the fly is all the narrator senses. However, it appears that the narrator is neither disappointed nor relieved to hear the fly rather, he is fascinated by the fly’s ability to keep the him gripped to life. The poem says that the fly’s “stumbling Buzz” floated “Between the light – and me –“. It is as though throughout the poem the narrator has relinquished his ties to his loved ones, his possessions, and finally his body until everything that exists in his mind and his senses are condensed and represented in the buzzing of the fly. Here, Dickinson implies that the narrator’s identity lies outside of what roles he might have filled or what possessions he owned because when, in the last moments of his life, he is stripped down to the most basic elements of his existence, all he knows is the buzzing of the fly.
The final lines of the poem say, “And then the Windows failed – and then/ I could not see to see”. The failing windows imply that the light that the narrator was searching for behind the noise of the fly did not meet him in the end. While the final image comes off as rather depressing, it is important to note that the narrator’s sense of hearing was always the key to his identity in death. The sense of hearing is a recurring element in Dickinson’s work and it often represents a more acute level of understanding for the listener. Rather than dying and transcending into darkness, the narrator comes to be defined by the most basic of his senses and transitions into death with a better understanding of his own identity.
Laura from United States
Comment 48 of 49, added on October 22nd, 2009 at 3:21 PM.
i came to this site for an english assigment. to those who commented constructively, i appreciate the input - it gave me a greater insight into the poem, which helped me complete the assignment.
as for the rude comment that seems to have riled us all up...
it's people like this that give the united states a reputation of ignorance and idiocy. to assume that everyone who posts something helpful on a poem analysis site is "fat and ugly" is moronic. seriously - are we in fifth grade? and as it happens, i enjoy going out clubbing with my friends as well. i go to concerts. i play soccer. i've even been approached to do modeling jobs, which i'm sure shocks you, christopher, as you expect me to be obese and covered in boils. some people actually find intelligence attractive - a concept i'm sure is lost on you entirely.
the point is that we are sophisticated and intelligent people who just want to help our fellow students. so keep on posting, everyone - it really is a big help.
oh, and christopher? thanks again for perpetuating the "smart-kids-are-lame" stereotype. i'm glad there are people like you in the world; it makes me feel like a freaking genius.
Rosetta from United States
Comment 47 of 49, added on September 29th, 2009 at 11:50 PM.
Hey guy who likes boys christopher. why didn't you show your e- mail address either?? and by the way these sites are for far more intellectual people than yourself. I too go to college and am on here for my literature course. Although i find this site helpful. You must be one sad little person who is probably not even old enough to actually know what it means to go "clubbin" haha. Does it make you feel better about yourself ( who is probably fat and ugly yourself) ridiculing people online who are much more intelligent than you? I bet it does. You obviously have nothing better to do with your time either. Don't be a hypocrite bro. This poem is awesome, apparently people who read it aren't always. go gain some knowledge kid. peace asshole
Jordan Hoke from United States
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Comments
One of the main final messages of this poem is the impending pressure of death, whether it be a literal or symbolic death. Death is foremost a period of transition in which the soul transcends from a living plane and becomes part of something otherworldly and enigmatic. In the wake of the Civil War, the effects of death were an ever-present reality for families across the nation. In this poem, Dickinson asks a question that especially haunted Americans of her time: what do the dying experience as they approach death? The initial experience of the narrator is one of complete stillness and silence; the stillness is like “between the Heaves of Storm” which eludes the idea that the process of dying is like transitioning between the known Storm of life into the unknown Storm of the afterlife. The “Eyes” surrounding the narrator are dry from having stopped mourning and the “Breaths” are gathered as they wait for the narrator to finally succumb to death. Despite the quietness of the scene, the narrator suggests that the room lacks tranquility; rather, the narrator contemplates that every aspect of his life that could be signed away has been relinquished to the living (“Signed away/ What portion of me be/ Assignable –“) so that all that is left is the body that he does not even own enough to control its vitality. The narrator’s death is also a period of anxious waiting for “when the King/ Be witnessed – in the Room –“. It is common to believe that some other-worldly figure must be present to accompany the dying into the afterlife, and as the narrator waits he hears the buzzing of the fly pervade the room.
Despite everyone’s anticipation of the “King”, the buzzing of the fly is all the narrator senses. However, it appears that the narrator is neither disappointed nor relieved to hear the fly rather, he is fascinated by the fly’s ability to keep the him gripped to life. The poem says that the fly’s “stumbling Buzz” floated “Between the light – and me –“. It is as though throughout the poem the narrator has relinquished his ties to his loved ones, his possessions, and finally his body until everything that exists in his mind and his senses are condensed and represented in the buzzing of the fly. Here, Dickinson implies that the narrator’s identity lies outside of what roles he might have filled or what possessions he owned because when, in the last moments of his life, he is stripped down to the most basic elements of his existence, all he knows is the buzzing of the fly.
The final lines of the poem say, “And then the Windows failed – and then/ I could not see to see”. The failing windows imply that the light that the narrator was searching for behind the noise of the fly did not meet him in the end. While the final image comes off as rather depressing, it is important to note that the narrator’s sense of hearing was always the key to his identity in death. The sense of hearing is a recurring element in Dickinson’s work and it often represents a more acute level of understanding for the listener. Rather than dying and transcending into darkness, the narrator comes to be defined by the most basic of his senses and transitions into death with a better understanding of his own identity.
Laura from United States