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I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died Literary Devices

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From I heard a Fly Buzz-When I Died-, Emily Dickinson uses symbolism and irony to present her abandonment in religious beliefs. The usage of symbolism is meant to show the lack of value that the author places on theological beliefs. Dickenson first uses symbolism of the window to present her views on religion. As the narrator dies they see that “the windows failed”, showing the reality of their death. The windows symbolize Dickenson’s faith and beliefs in religion. Because the narrator struggles “to see”, Dickinson conveys that she has abandoned her trust in religion. The symbol of the fly reinforces this idea by signifying how how little importance Dickinson has for her faith. In the poem, the fly is described as “uncertain” and “stumbling”. Both of these words can be used to describe Dickinson’s faith. In addition to this, a fly is usually thought of as a creature that is …show more content…

In the poem, the narrator prepares themselves for “the last onset-when the King be witnessed”, however comes to realize the reality of death. The narrator’s unfulfilled expectations of religion and afterlife are a result of their inability to accept reality. Dickinson uses this example of situational irony to present her belief that one cannot depend on religion for hope. This view is supported by the friends and family that surround the narrator on their deathbed. From the detail of “the eyes around - had wrung them dry” it can be inferred that they share the same theological expectations and use religion as a form of hope. The difference between the narrator and the other people in the room is that the narrator realizes the reality of death. The other people in the room must live in ignorance, believing that the narrator has passed into the afterlife. Dickinson adds this element to show that she is not satisfied with false hope and requires a more feasible sense of

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In “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” Porter uses multiple allusions to three of Emily Dickinson’s poems to show the change from total, unwavering Christian faith, to the absence of Jesus as Granny dies. In the story, Porter describes Granny stepping into a cart, whose driver Granny knew by his hands, and whose face she did not have to see, because she “knew without seeing” (Porter). This scene is almost identical to the scene in Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for death-.” This allusion aids in conveying the Christian idea of death as Granny has come to accept it: a tranquil figure, Death, calmly and peacefully carries one’s soul to an eternity where centuries feel like days.

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Aside from the fly, a slew of mourners are also present at the narrator’s deathbed, as the narrator states that the “The Eyes around [them] - had wrung [themselves] dry” (Dickinson), proving how the mourners, or eyes, around the narrator, are devastated by the narrator’s death, as their eyes are dry from crying. In fact, the narrator’s death is so important that even “the King / [was] witnessed - in the Room” (Dickinson), with “the King” referring to God. This importance humanity, which is represented by the mourners, places on death is similar to that it places on marriage, as in The Storm, Calixta is aware of how her marriage makes her affair all the more scandalous, just as the mourners are aware of the narrator’s death is something monumental and holy. However, just as Calixta disregards her marriage due to her natural lust, the “stumbling fly,” interrupts the solemn mourners around the narrator’s deathbed with its clumsy and bumbling nature. Since the fly represents nature, this suggests that the narrator’s death is not as significant in the eyes of nature as it is in the eyes of humanity, just like nature doesn’t find Calixta’s marriage very important as it is the reason she possesses the instinct which drives

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Whitman and Dickinson share the theme of death in their work, while Whitman decides to speak of death in a more realistic point of view, Dickinson speaks of the theme in a more conceptual one. In Whitman’s poems, he likes to have a more empathic view of individuals and their ways of living. For example, in Whitman’s “Song of Myself”, the poet talks about not just of himself, but all human beings, and of how mankind works into the world and the life of it. Even though the poem mostly talks about life and the happiness of it, Whitman describes also that life itself has its ending, and that is the theme of death. For Dickinson, she is the complete opposite of happiness.

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Thus, Emily Dickinson's poems "I heard a Fly buzz-when I died" and "Because I could not stop for Death-" explore the theme of death and share the same writing style; however, they differ in their perception of death, and tone, which creates a notable and alluring form of writing that defies the standards of poetry. Moreover, “I heard a Fly Buzz when I died” has a unique writing style in which Emily Dickinson is known. This is shown through the use of dashes, and short lines. An example of this is, "Was like the Stillness in the Air - / Between the Heaves of Storm -"( Dickinson 3-4). Besides demonstrating Emily's signature style of dashes and short lines, this quote also shows how she formats her poetry so the reader can see how there is an unsettling realization that something is going to happen as the speaker lies on the death bed, which has to do with the subject of death.

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The speaker is worried that thier soul will not be taken to heaven for all eternity. As the speaker ponders this, the fly interrupts and is not part of this tradition and ritual. The fly is standing between the speaker and the light, interrupting the speakers final thoughts. The fly symbolizes the physical aspects of death and reminds the speaker of this as the speaker loses their breath and sight then passes

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