Have you ever wondered what happens after you die? Death is a problem for all people. It is also a topic that weighs heavily on the mind of 18th century poet, Emily Dickinson. In the poem, “I heard a fly buzz - when I died.” by Emily Dickinson, she uses symbolism and figurative language to express her ideas and feelings about death. Emily Dickinson uses figurative language in a very powerful way. One way that she uses it is in the third stanza when she states, “I willed away my Keepsakes - Signed away what portion of me be Assignable - and then it was there interposed a Fly.” This shows figurative language in two different ways. First, when Dickinson says, “I willed away my Keepsakes.” She is referring to the speaker writing their will and giving away their possessions. When she says, “What portion of me be Assignable - and then there interposed a Fly.” Here, she is …show more content…
There are several examples of throughout this poem, and others. One example of this is in the second stanza when she states, “For that last Onset - when the King - Be witnessed - - In the Room.” This clearly demonstrates how she uses figurative language by using the word King to refer to the Lord, God. Who she believes will appear when the speaker dies and take them to Heaven. But he never comes, instead, they see a fly. The “fly” is a very important part of this poem. Dickinson gives this insignificant insect, so much more meaning, than what it usually has. This is shown in the first stanza when Dickinson states, “I heard a fly buzz - When I died.” also when she says in the third stanza, “ - and then it was - There interposed a Fly.” This demonstrates how she is using the fly as a symbol for the speakers soul. The fly represents how their is trying to escape their body, like the fly is trying to escape the room. Dickinson is troubled by what will happen when she she dies, what will happen to her