Emily Dickenson's poem I Heard a Fly Buzzing When I Was Dead death—” is full of death and darkness as well as light. and life. Throughout the poem, sight and sight are major themes that serve as irony for the dying narrator. Dickenson is able to describe death in a very vivid and colorful way that makes readers feel like they are at the bedside of the dying narrator. She is excellent in her use of hidden meanings and references for such a short poem - that is the mark of an exceptional poet. Dickenson uses the em dash constantly throughout the poem – even in the title. She does this in order to make the reader think for a second for dramatic effect. The reason is that a person on their deathbed is going to take a break and be a little slower, as opposed to a perfectly alive person. The em dash is used to separate the poem, while a special style is used to make the poem flow smoothly. This style is called iambic meter, a style that divides lines into two syllabic sections. The syllable pattern is 8, 6, 8, 6 for each stanza of the poem. Iambic meter is used to counter and support Dickenson's use of the em dash. Dickenson uses very particular diction to describe the overall theme of death in the poem. She uses phrases such as "Calm in the air" (line 3), "wrung them out" (line 5), and "then the windows broke down" (line 15) to describe the events of death as well as events leading to death. His choice of diction allows the reader to see death a little more vividly than a person would see it regularly. In the second stanza, Dickenson says: The eyes around - had wrung them out - and the breaths gathered for the last beginning - when the king witnessed...... middle of paper...... hum and silence which follow. with it, it also represents death and agony. Dickenson shows very clearly that the narrator of this poem believes in God. By using the quotes "Between the heavings of the storm" (line 4) and "when the king shall witness - in the room" (lines 7 and 8), Dickenson lets the reader know that she and the narrator have religious knowledge to say the least. Dickenson's work, "I Heard the Buzz of a Fly - When I Died -", has many more references and meanings than what appears on the surface. This poem means so much to so many people that the audience changes depending on who is reading the poem. Dickenson wrote this poem for everyone and no one because it is both relevant and completely different from what one might expect. This poem allows the reader to visualize death in a remarkably intense way for such a short poem of 16 lines..

Essay / Emily Dickenson's poem I Heard a Fly Buzzing When I Was Dead death—” is full of death and darkness as well as light. and life. Throughout the poem, sight and sight are major themes that serve as irony for the dying narrator. Dickenson is able to describe death in a very vivid and colorful way that makes readers feel like they are at the bedside of the dying narrator. She is excellent in her use of hidden meanings and references for such a short poem - that is the mark of an exceptional poet. Dickenson uses the em dash constantly throughout the poem – even in the title. She does this in order to make the reader think for a second for dramatic effect. The reason is that a person on their deathbed is going to take a break and be a little slower, as opposed to a perfectly alive person. The em dash is used to separate the poem, while a special style is used to make the poem flow smoothly. This style is called iambic meter, a style that divides lines into two syllabic sections. The syllable pattern is 8, 6, 8, 6 for each stanza of the poem. Iambic meter is used to counter and support Dickenson's use of the em dash. Dickenson uses very particular diction to describe the overall theme of death in the poem. She uses phrases such as "Calm in the air" (line 3), "wrung them out" (line 5), and "then the windows broke down" (line 15) to describe the events of death as well as events leading to death. His choice of diction allows the reader to see death a little more vividly than a person would see it regularly. In the second stanza, Dickenson says: The eyes around - had wrung them out - and the breaths gathered for the last beginning - when the king witnessed...... middle of paper...... hum and silence which follow. with it, it also represents death and agony. Dickenson shows very clearly that the narrator of this poem believes in God. By using the quotes "Between the heavings of the storm" (line 4) and "when the king shall witness - in the room" (lines 7 and 8), Dickenson lets the reader know that she and the narrator have religious knowledge to say the least. Dickenson's work, "I Heard the Buzz of a Fly - When I Died -", has many more references and meanings than what appears on the surface. This poem means so much to so many people that the audience changes depending on who is reading the poem. Dickenson wrote this poem for everyone and no one because it is both relevant and completely different from what one might expect. This poem allows the reader to visualize death in a remarkably intense way for such a short poem of 16 lines..

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