I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died - A poem by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson - I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died

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 firm
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 --

Added: on October 11th, 2007 at 10:25 AM | Viewed: 32799 times | Comments and analysis of I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died by Emily Dickinson Comments (32)

I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died - Comments and Information
Poet: Emily Dickinson Poem: 465. I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died Volume: Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson Year: Published/Written in 1955 Comment 32 of 32, added on May 30th, 2008 at 1:19 PM. Emily created this poem to express the way she was feeling about her life at the time. She wrote her poems based on her feelings of her life, herself, and the very fewpeople involved in her life at that certain time. Felicia from United States Comment 31 of 32, added on December 5th, 2007 at 3:11 PM. Emily Dickinson, was sorounded in her life by the deaths of others, this are the kind of situations that make people question the existance of God and Heaven.She says what portion of me be. To me she is questioning, what will happen to me when I die. Because I could not see the see. I could not see or believe in god. cristine from United States Comment 30 of 32, added on October 11th, 2007 at 10:25 AM. I think there are great big huge hints, like the fact that she never married or had children. That aside, I feel this is very much about death and about Emily's existentialism - her doubts about a great beyond. To me this reads like an old b&w film that is cutting out at the end, where you see that hair (or that fly) on the lens of the projector just before the light snaps out. Emily is imagining that there is nothing after that. The fascination in that last moment is that the fly sensed the inevitable, and was there for it, along with the narrator. 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 firm 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 -- ea More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died, has received 32 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Emily Dickinson with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: Emily Dickinson Poem: 465. I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died Volume: Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson Year: Published/Written in 1955 Last read: Jul 20 2008, 4:13AM Viewed 32799 times. Added on October 11th, 2007 at 10:25 AM.

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